2024 Australian Olympic Qualifiers
Day three of the Australian 2024 Olympic Swimming Trials gets underway on Wednesday morning, and the meet is a tale of two groups. genuine Like a superstar Molly O'Callaghanis a big tournament overall, but with rare exceptions, the remaining competitors, including the ones who are close to winning, are struggling to overcome hurdles and grab attention.
Wednesday's race will feature a star-studded field, including defending Olympic champion Arianne Titmuss Go head to head with a world record holder Molly O'Callaghan.
Both swimmers have posted astounding times early in the competition: Titmuss smashed the world record in the 400m freestyle with a time of 3:55.44, just 0.06 seconds away from the world record, while O'Callaghan clocked the fastest time ever in the 100m backstroke with a time of 57.88, an event she may not even swim at the Olympics.
There are some strong contenders at the back of the pack as well, with around a dozen swimmers vying for six spots in the women's 800-meter freestyle relay.
The 2023 World Championship silver medallist will not compete in the men's 800m freestyle heats. Sam Shortthe main headliner of the event, as only the early heats of the event are raced in qualifying.
The men's 50m freestyle will also be a tough contest. Cam McEvoywill make a surprising comeback as the 2023 world champion and aim to qualify for a fourth consecutive Olympic Games. Isaac CooperHe missed out on setting the Australian Olympic standard in the 100m backstroke on Tuesday. Kyle Chalmers and Thomas Nowakowski They will compete for second place. Cooper's training is focused on sprinting, so this will be his chance to shine.
The men's 200m butterfly will be the culmination of hard work. Bowen Goff is top-seeded with a time of 1:56.01, but someone would need to run 1:54.97 to be nominated for the Olympics. It's not uncommon for Australia to have some events without spectators at the Olympics, but those events are often made up for by strong performances from its top stars, and the men's 200 has been a weak spot in the program in past trials.
Women's 200m Freestyle – Qualification
- World Record – 1:52.85, Molly O'Callaghan (Australia), 2023
- Australian Record – 1:52.85, Molly O'Callaghan, 2023
- Marine Record – 1:52.85, Molly O'Callaghan (Australia), 2023
- Commonwealth Record – 1:52.85, Molly O'Callaghan (Australia), 2023
- Swim Australia OQT – 1:56.49
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Arianne Titmuss — 1:55.50
- Molly O'Callaghan — 1:55.68
- Lani Pallister — 1:56.54
- Jamie Perkins — 1:56.75
- Brianna Throssell — 1:56.89
- Shayna Jack — 1:56.98
- Meg Harris — 1:57.52
- Brittany Castelluzzo — 1:57.56
O'Callaghan, the world record holder, clocked an easy 1:55.68 in the first heat (although he came close in the final 50 metres with 28.40 seconds). Lani Pallister She followed with a time of 1:56.54. Also competing in the final from this heat was Brittany Castelzofinished eighth overall, breaking 1 minute 58 seconds for the first time in his career, but the fastest time of the morning was held by O'Callaghan's club teammate. Arianne Titmusswon the second heat in 1:55.50. Behind him were teenager Jamie Perkins, who broke 1:57 for the first time, finishing with a personal best of 1:57.13 in 1:56.75, and veteran Brianna Throssell Perkins is looking to bounce back after missing out on Olympic qualification in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:56.89. Heading into the final, Perkins is in a strong position to qualify for her first senior international team.
Shayna Jack He won his third and final circle seeded heat in 1:56.98, just over a second off his personal best. Meg Harris (1:57.52) Kayleigh McKeon (1:57.96). Four swimmers under 1:58 failed to qualify, showing just how deep Australia's freestyle is. Notable swimmers who missed out on the final include 2023 World Championship qualifier swimmer McKeon. Kia Melverton He finished 12th in 1:58.37 and was also a swimmer in Tokyo's 4×200 freestyle relay final. Leah Nealfinished 17th in 2:00.10.
Abbie Connor In the 200m freestyle, she dropped more than a second from her entry time, finishing in 13th place with a time of 1:58.54. Although she was not good enough to compete in the 200m freestyle for the Paris Games, her swim bodes well for the 200m butterfly, where she is seeded second with a time of 2:06.59.
Men's 800m Freestyle – Qualifying
- World Record – 7:32.11, Zhang Lin (China), 2009
- Australian Record – 7:37.76, Sam Short, 2023
- Marine Record – 7:37.76, Sam Short (Australia), 2023
- Commonwealth Record – 7:37.76, Sam Short (AUS), 2023
- Swim Australia OQT – 7:45.80
Men's 50m Freestyle Qualifying
- World record — 20.91, Cesar Cielo (Brazil), 2009
- Australian Record – 21.06, Cameron McEvoy (AUS), 2023
- Marine Record – 21.06, Cameron McEvoy (Australia), 2023
- Commonwealth Record – 21.06, Cameron McEvoy (Australia), 2023
- Swim Australia OQT – 21.88
Men's 200m Butterfly Qualifying
- World Record — 1:50.34, Kristof Milak (Hungary), 2022
- Australian record — 1:54.46, Nick Darcy, 2009
- Marine Record – 1:54.15, Moss Burmester, 2009
- Commonwealth record — 1:52.96, Chad Le Clos, 2012
- Swim Australia OQT — 1:54.97
