Ariarne Titmus Leads Aussie Swimmers Back Into The Fast Lane At NSW Championships
Dual Olympic champion and world record holder Ariarne Titmus spoke for so many of the sport’s biggest names after the opening heats session of the star-studded NSW State Open Swimming Championships in Sydney today after coming off a gruelling two-week training camp in Thailand as Australia’s top hopes prepare for this year’s World Championships in Japan.
HIGH FIVE MILLION: Speedo ambassador Ariarne Titmus hamming it up on pool deck in Sydney after the Starlight Foundation announced they had raised a record $5million in their Super Swim promotion to raise money for Australia’s sick kids. Photo Courtesy: Starlight Foundation.
Titmus admitted she would not be at her best after churning through 70-kilometre weeks and a host of energy-sapping dryland work outs in the build up to the three-day meet that opened for Titmus with an unlikely 100m freestyle heat before setting her mind and body for the 800m timed-final tonight.
“You cant always race fresh so it’s good to see how you can perform under pressure when you are tired,” said Titmus.
“I’m here to see where I’m at and to race with no pressure and to get a good gauge (for the rest of the season)….and (Paris) is (also) going to come around really fast and at the moment you can’t read into how you are swimming too much.
“But it kind of gives you a gauge of where you may have to give yourself a bit of (a kick up the pants) to get you going or you know you are in a good spot and I guess that’s the main reason why you are happy to race……I’m excited to get out there and have some fun.
“I haven’t really raced at a high level since the Commonwealth Games last year so this is the fittest I’ve been since then and it will be interesting to see how I go.
“I know I’m not going to be by my best but turns are really important..starts, technique is a really important thing and you come to these meets and focus on other areas of your swimming..”
COMFORTABLE KYLE: Kyle Chalmers was the top qualifier into the 100m freestyle final at the NSW Championships Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)
Titmus joined a host of Australian swimming’s biggest names who have come out to strut their stuff and they didn’t disappoint.
Fellow Olympic champions Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA), Emma McKeon (Griffith University, QLD)and Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD), showed that they mean business in the lead up to this year’s World Championships in Japan in July, despite being in heavy training.
The Wollongong born-and-raised McKeon, Australia’s most successful Olympian and Commonwealth Games star, had the busiest morning, pushing herself over the second 50m to post the fastest qualifying time in what will be a jam-packed women’s 100m freestyle in 53.65 – the third fastest time in the world this year.
And coming off the 50m butterfly heats earlier in the day which saw her Commonwealth Games team mate Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans) clock the fastest qualifying time of 26.39, followed by McKeon 26.49, Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 27.13 and Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) 27.28.
IN THE ZONE: Olympic champion Emma McKeon in the moment before the 100m freestyle heats. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming NSW).
Commonwealth Games and World Championship gold medallist Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) won her 100m freestyle heat, impressing in 54.19, just edging out fellow relay gold medallist Madi Wilson (Marion, SA) 54.33 with third heat winner and Olympic relay gold medallist Meg Harris (Marion, SA) clocking 54.51.
Next to qualify was 16-year-old rising star Milla Jensen (Bond, QLD) in 55.00 followed by dual Olympic champion over 400 and 800m Ariarne Titmus in 55.12 – with Titmus also setting herself for the 800m freestyle tonight as well.
The one swimmer missing from the 100m freestyle field was reigning world champion, multi-skilled Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) who opted to race the women’s 200m backstroke up against reigning Olympic, World LC and SC and Commonwealth Games champion and world record holder Kaylee McKeown.
And it was McKeown who won the first heat in 2:10.89 and O’Callaghan the second in 2:11.81 – with the pair set to go head to head in tonight’s final.
LET’S DO THIS: Kaylee McKeown (right) and Mollie O’Callaghan in a playful mood before the women’s 200m backstroke. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)
The men’s 100m freestyle field will be led by 2016 Olympic champion and 2020 Olympic silver medallist Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) who was impressive in winning his heat this morning in 48.64, from fellow Commonwealth Games relay gold medallists Will Yang (SOPAC, NSW) and Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 49.14 followed by rising star Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 49.49.
Triple Olympian and Commonwealth and Australian record holder Cam McEvoy (Somerville House, QLD) at 28, qualified fifth fastest, followed by British record holder Lewis Burras, who swims and trains under former British world record holder Zoe Baker at the Peel Aquatic Club in Mandurah, WA next in 49.80.
For a look at all the finalists click on the Final Program link below.