Aussie Young Guns Isaac Cooper, Flynn Southam and Joshua Edwards-Smith Let The Good Times Roll At Recording Breaking Queensland Championships
RACKING UP THE RECORDS: Chasing Mitch will bring out the best in Rackley Swim Team’s Isaac Cooper Photo Courtesy: Wade J Brennan Photography.
A trio of Australian swimming’s new faces Isaac Cooper, Flynn Southam and Joshua Edwards-Smith are leading the next generation of Australian men with record-breaking swims at the 2021 McDonalds Queensland Championships.
Tokyo Olympic debutant, Cooper and Gold Coast-based former WA young gun Edwards-Smith have both broken records owned by Australia’s premier backstroker, triple Olympian Mitch Larkin.
And Southam has broken records this week belonging to Ian Thorpe, Cam McEvoy and Elijah Winnington.
Cooper (Rackley Swim Team), just 17, has had a whirlwind 2021 and admits he is still coming to terms with the fact that he has come from virtual obscurity via Bundaberg and Toowoomba to the Tokyo Games and a bronze medallist in the Mixed Medley Relay.
And his rise continued last night when he continued on his record-breaking ways, clocking 24.62 to lower Larkin’s 2015 Queensland Open record – clocking the second fastest time ever by an Australian.
“My Olympic journey still hasn’t sunk in at all,” admitted Cooper, ”when I’m sitting around at home it still feels like a dream, and when I’m walking around pool deck and a lot of my friends now are swimmers on the Australian team where as last year I’d see all these guys walking by the pool and think wow look at them go and now I’m one of them, it still feels really weird and doesn’t feel real.”
BREAKOUT YEAR: Isaac Cooper (Rackley Swim Team) is still pinching himself – from relative obscurity to Olympic bronze at 17. Photo Courtesy: Wade J Brennan Photography.
Cooper came into his 17-years final last night for a race against the clock and chasing the Australian record of 24.54 – held by Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ben Treffers back in 2014.
“I was looking to go a little faster tonight wanting to crack that 24.54 and the Australian Open record but I couldn’t quite do it..but I still managing a 0.10 pb and my coach Damien Jones said if you can go this fast when you are racing yourself, imagine how fast you will go when there is someone pushing you along.
“I’m a natural competitor, I love racing and being on the Australian team brings out the best in myself and being around elite athletes who are better than me really inspires me.”
And joining the record breakers is one of Queensland’s newest recruits in former UWA West Coast young gun, 18-year-old Joshua Edwards-Smith (Griffith University) who lowered Larkin’s Australian 18 years National Age record racing against the two-time Olympic medallist and world champion, who won five gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Edwards-Smith, now under the tutelage of master coach Michael Bohl also took down the 2012 Larkin mark, erasing clocking 1:57.09 and swimming right next to “the man” who clocked a slick 1:55.97 under new coach Vince Raleigh at the Chandler club.
Earlier in the meet the trio went head-to-head in the open 100m backstroke with Larkin showing all his class in winning the title in 53.80, from Cooper (54.55) and Edwards-Smith (54.98).
PUMPED: Bond Swimming’s Bull Shark Flynn Southam has been busting out the records all week at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre. Wade J Brennan Photography.Photo Courtesy:
And then there is the boy from Bond, Flynn Southam who continues to shake ‘em up and stir ‘em around as he continues on his record-breaking ways.
Last night, he took down Tokyo Olympian Winnington’s Queensland 16 years record with his 1:48.72 (25.55; 53.46) again back-ending his race coming home in 55.26 – with his 4×50 splits looking like this – 25.55; 27.91;27.92 and 27.34.
In a week he built on after admitting he had a sluggish start, Southam improved his 100m freestyle personal best to 49.40 – faster than Thorpie and McEvoy at the same age; his 50m to 22.67 and his 100m backstroke to 56.01.
Southam has grown in stature and grown in status and he is taking the next crop of young freestylers with him over the 50s and 100s, like Olympian and middle and distance boy, Thomas Neill (49.43), Maximillian Giuliani (49.66), Cooper (49.67) and Kai Taylor (49.88) – all teenagers filling the top five places in the 100m freestyle.
And to think that just 0.03 came between between Southam (swimming out in lane seven) and Neill cost the Tokyo Olympic relay bronze medallist a rare freestyle sweep.
TOP THREE: Elijah Winnington (St P{eters Western), Tommy Neill (Rackley Swim Team) and Mitch Tinsley (Chandler) Photo Courtesy: Wade J Brennan Photography.
The Damien Jones-coached Rackley Swim Team star adding the 200m in 1:47.28, the 400m in 3:50.20, the 800m last night in 7.57.52 and the 1500m the night before in 15:21.47.
And while the men were dominant last night, the Mollie O’Callaghan train kept on a golden track for a record number of Queensland State medals – adding her eighth gold of the meet in the 17 years 50m backstroke to her previous individual wins in the Open 100m and 200m freestyle and 100m backstroke; and the 17 years, 100m and 200m backstroke, the 50m and 200m freestyle and bronze last night in the 17-18 years 100m butterfly.
With the 17-18 years 100/400m freestyle remaining & the 17 years 50m ‘fly as well, O’Callaghan has been the busiest & most successful swimmer on pool deck & that’s not counting her 3 wins in the SPW relays.
IAN HANSON TALKS SWIMMING ON BRISBANE RADIO
RESULTS UPDATE, 2021 McDonalds Queensland State Swimming Championships
After Day 5
WOMEN
50m freestyle
- Shayna Jack (St Peters Western) 24.41
- Alex Perkins (USC Spartans) 25.50
- Mia O’Leary (Bond) 25.67
* Mollie O’Callaghan won the 17 years 50m freestyle in 25.19
LATS GOLD: Mollie O’Callaghan has certainly flexed her muscles in more ways than one at Chandler this week – eight individual gold and more on the way. Photo Courtesy: Wade J Brennan Photography.
100m freestyle
- Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western) 53.62
- Shayna Jack (St Peters Western) 53.80
- Brianna Throssell (USC Spartans) 55.54
200m freestyle
- Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western) 1:56.51
- Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western) 1:57.36
- Brianna Throssell (USC Spartans) 1:58.16
* Mollie O’Callaghan also won the 17 years 200m freestyle in 1:57.68
400m freestyle
- Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western) 4:04.64
- Kiah Melverton (St Peters Western) 4:07.63
- Moesha Johnson (Griffith University) 4:08.00
* Jamie Perkins (St Peters Western) won the 16 years 400m freestyle in 4:10.49 (which would have placed her fourth in the Opens)
800m freestyle
- Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western) 8:26.65
- Moesha Johnson (Griffith) 8:28.79
- Kiah Melverton (St Peters Western) 8:33.15
LUCKY LANE SIX: Ariarne Titmus takes flight at the Queensland Champs. Photo Courtesy: Wade J Brennan.
1500m freestyle
- Moesha Johnson (Griffith University) 16:01.66
- Kiah Melverton (St Peters Western) 16:15.13
- Madeleine Gough (Chandler) 16:16.65
50m backstroke
- Ashley Weill (St Andrews SC) 30.35
- Carla Buchanan (Rackley Swim Team) 30.64
- Emma Cran (Carina Leagues) 30.82
* Bronte Job swam the fastest time of the night breaking her own Qld 18 years All Comers record in 27.87.
100m backstroke
- Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western) 1:00.67
- Bronte Job (Rackley Swim Team) 1:0143
- Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western) 1:01.94
- Earlier on Night 2, O’Callaghan also won the 17 years 100m backstroke in 1:01.26, and giving her three wins from her first three swims.
200m backstroke
- Tahlia Thornton (USC Spartans) 2:12.95
- Ashley Weill (St Andrews) 2:16.54
- Ava Brickley (Bond 2:20.29
* On night two, Mollie O’Callaghan won the 17 years 200m backstroke in 2:10.97.
100m breaststroke
- Chelsea Hodges (Southport Olympic) 1:07.76
- Abbey Harkin (St Peters Western) 1:08.73
- Matilda Smith (Hobart Aquatic Club) 1:10.75
* On night three Ella Ramsay (St Peters Western) won the 17 years 100m breaststroke in 1:08.92
200m breaststroke
- Abbey Harkin (St Peters Western) 2:29.91
- Tayla Lumley (Rackley Swim Team) 2:32;75
- Madeline Snell (Brisbane Grammar) 2:33.63
* On night two Olympia Pope (Somerset) won the 13 years 200m breaststroke in 2:32.61 – a new Australian 13 years record set by Tess David in 2009.
* On night four Ella Ramsay (St Peters Western) won the 17 years 200m breaststroke in 2:28.73
100m butterfly
- Brianna Throssell (USC Spartans) 58.51
- Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans) 59.08
- Elizabeth Dekkers (Newmarket Racers) 59.86
200m butterfly
- Elizabeth Dekkers (Newmarket Racers) 2:08.12
- Kiah Melverton (St Peters Western) 2:16.19
- Lucy Dring (SC Grammar) 2;16.41
200m individual medley
- Abbey Harkin (St Peters Western) 2:15.27
- Kiah Melverton (St Peters Western) 2:15.86
- Mya Rasmussen (New Zealand) 2:15.98
400m individual medley
- Mya Rasmussen (New Zealand Federation) 4:44.57
- Ella Ramsay (St Peters Western) 4:45.68
- Elizabeth Dekkers (Newmarket Racers) 4:48.52
MEN
50m freestyle
- Thomas Nowakowski (Somerset SC) 22.17
- Grayson Bell (Somerset SC) 22.21
- Jamie Jack (Rackley) 22.45
*Flynn Southam won the 16 years 50m freestyle in a new 16 years Queensland All-Comers record time of 22.67.
FLYNN’S SOUTHAM COMFORT: Sprint freestyle rising star Flynn Southam shows the powerful technique that has seen him on record pace all week. Photo Courtesy: Wade J Brennan Photography.
100m freestyle
- Flynn Southam (Bond Swim Club) 49.40 (24.62/24.78)
- Thomas Neill (Rackley Swim Team) 49.43
- Maximillian Giuliani (Hobart Aquatic Club) 49.66
* Flynn Southam erased two of Australia’s biggest names – Ian Thorpe and Cameron McEvoy from the 16 years 100m freestyle record books on Day One. Southam clocked 49.42 (24.08; 25.34) faster than Thorpe’s 1999 Qld All-Comers record of 49.98 and McEvoy’s 2011 QLD record of 49.70.
200m freestyle
- Thomas Neill (Rackley Swim Team) 1:47.28
- Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western) 1:48.22
- Clyde Lewis (Griffith University) 1:48.88
- In the 16 years 200m freestyle, Flynn Southam (Bond) set a new QLD 16 years age record of 1:48.72 which would have seen him place third in the Opens.
800m freestyle
- Thomas Neill (Rackley Swim Team) 7:57.52
- Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western) 8:02.89
- Conor Daff (Chandler) 8:07.52
400m freestyle
- Thomas Neill (Rackley Swim Team) 3:50.20
- Brendon Smith (Nunawading, VIC) 3:51.70
- Mitchell Tinsley (Chandler) 3:53.18
1500m freestyle
- Thomas Neill (Rackley Swim Team) 15:21.47
- Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western) 15:25.51
- Mitchell Tinsley (Chandler) 15:34.68
100m breaststroke
- Zac Stubblety-Cook (Chandler) 59.74
- Nash Wilkes (Southport Olympic) 1:02.55
- Jack Dugandzic (Churchie) 1:03.11
200m breaststroke
- Zac Stubblety-Cook (Chandler) 2:07.00 (29.64; 1:01.99/32.35); 1:35.43/33.44; 2:07.00/31.57)
- Yannik Zwolsman (Southport Olympic ) 2:16.27
- Ryan Maskelyne (Papua New Guinea Federation) 2:16.33
BACKSTROKE BOYS: Mitch Larkin holding court with the next generation of backstroke boys in Brisbane. Wade J Brennan Photography.Photo Courtesy:
50m backstroke
- Mitch Larkin (Chandler) 25.47
- Ty Hartwell (Chandler) 26.06
- Andrew Rice (St Andrew’s SC) 26.34
* Tokyo Olympian Isaac Cooper won the 17 years 50m backstroke in 24.62, breaking Mitch Larkin’s Queensland Open and Queensland All Comers record of 24.65 – ranking him the second fastest All-Time Australian behind Australian Open record holder Ben Treffers (24.54/2014).
100m backstroke
- Mitch Larkin (Chandler 53.80
- Isaac Cooper (Rackley Swim Team) 54.59
- Joshua Edwards-Smith (Griffith Uni) 54.98
* Flynn Southam (Bond) won the 17 years 100m backstroke in 56.01
200m backstroke
- Mitch Larkin (Chandler) 1:55.97
- Joshua Edwards-Smith (Griffith University) 1:57.09 (57.20) Australian 18 years record 7th fastest Australian All-Time)
- Ty Hartwell (Chandler) 1:59.21
* On night three Thomas Hauck (All Saints Gold Coast) won the 18 years 200m backstroke in a new 18 years Queensland All-Comers record of 1:58.42, which was broken by Joshua Edwards-Smith (Griffith University) with his 1:57.09.
100m butterfly
- Bowen Gough (Griffith University) 52.80
- David Morgan (Miami) 53.40
- Jesse Coleman (Bond Swim Club) 53.48
200m butterfly
- Bowen Gough (Griffith) 1:56.71
- Charles Cox (St Peters Western) 1:59.29
- Lucas Humeniuk (Chandler) 2:00.78
200m individual medley
- Clyde Lewis (Griffith) 1:58.92
- Thomas Neill (Rackley) 1:59.87
- Brendon Smith (Nunawading) 2:01.39
400m individual medley
- Thomas Neill (Rackley Swim Team) 4:19.18
- Joshua Staples (St Peters Western) 4:23.81
- Lucas Humeniuk (Chandler) 4:25.06
CROWD PLEASERS: The packed Chandler grandstands have been a welcome post COVID addition to the 2012 McDonalds Queensland State Championships.Photo Courtesy: Wade J Brennan Photography.