Australian Champs, Day Four Finals: Mollie O’Callaghan Pops Big 200 Freestyle; Kaylee McKeown Continues Dominance

Mollie O'callaghan of Australia reacts after winning the gold medal in the 100m Freestyle Women Final during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 28th, 2023.

Australian Champs, Day Four Finals: Mollie O’Callaghan Pops Big 200 Freestyle; Kaylee McKeown Continues Dominance

By Nicole Jeffery

World 200m freestyle record-holder Mollie O’Callaghan put in the statement swim of the Australian Open Championships today, dominating the Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus and threatening her own world record.

O’Callaghan, who has just turned 20, stormed through four laps in 1:53.57, little more than half a second outside the world record she set to claim the world title last year (1:52.85). She is the first swimmer to crack the 1:54 barrier this year.

She was in total control of the race throughout and the fearless Titmus found herself in the very unusual position of being unable to do anything about it. She finished a distant second in 1:55.38, backing up from her world-leading 400m the previous night.

This kind of defeat is only likely to add fuel to Titmus’ fire as the Paris Olympics approach.

O’Callaghan said her performance indicated that she had moved to a higher level going into the Olympics than she was at this time last year.

“I think that’s probably where I should be, although I would like to go faster – I always do,’’ she said.

Lani Pallister also joined the 1:55 club in third, ducking under 1:56 by just .01 of a second. She then earned the ironwoman award by returning to win the 1500m freestyle in 15:57.01.

Triple Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown caught the vibe and decided to make a statement of her own, threatening her own 200m backstroke world record. She ultimately fell 0.7 of a second short, clocking 2:03.84.

This was only the third sub-2:04 swim in history, behind her own world standard (2:03.14) and Regan Smith’s 2:03.35. However, this was the only such performance done outdoors at night in the rain.

She gapped the field by more than five seconds, but 21-year-old Hannah Fredericks still made a good breakthrough to clock 2:08.92 for second. She was the only other swimmer under 2:10.

McKeown has been fast all week, setting national records in the 200m and 400m individual medley, but even she was surprised to see a 2:03 on the clock, given her tough programme in the last four days, and the fact she struggles to swim straight without the guidance of a roof overhead. She said she used the lane rope as her guide for this one.

Australia’s most decorated Olympian Emma McKeon finished the week with a win in the 100m butterfly, setting the fifth fastest time of the year, 56.58sec. Brianna Throssell was a close second in 56.77.

One of the closest races of the session came in the men’s 400m individual medley final as New Zealand’s world champion Lewis Clareburt went toe-to-toe with Japan’s former world champion Daiya Seto.

The Japanese veteran ultimately prevailed in 4:10.44, just ahead of Clareburt’s 4:10.86. Melbourne teenager Will Petric finished third in a promising 4:13.55.

Another world champion, Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre), maintained his ascendancy in the 50m breaststroke in 27.60, while Bowen Gough (Griffith University) triumphed in the 200m butterfly (1:57.85).

In the Multi Class events, Tokyo Paralympian Jasmine Greenwood (S10) triumphed in the women’s 50m freestyle in 28.79. while Benjamin Hance (S14) claimed the men’s final in 23.50.

Australian head coach Rohan Taylor said the performances at the championships were “really encouraging” and he was excited to see what the nation’s best swimmers would produce at the Olympic trials in July.

Some 45 of the leading swimmers will attend the national relay camp on the Gold Coast from tomorrow, while most of the Australian team contenders will compete next at the Sydney Open meet, May 9-11, in their final tune up before the Olympic trials.

EVENT LINKS:

SWIMMING AUSTRALIA EVENT PAGE

2024 AUSTRALIAN OPEN AND MC RESULTS

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