The boys from Bond University– led by freestyle sprint ace Flynn Southam have broken the first National record on night six of the 2023 Australian Age Championships on the Gold Coast.
For the second night running Southam has produced another sizzling sub-48 second relay split, clocking 47.91 to anchor the club to a new Australian Age record of 3:40.24 in the 16-18 years 4x100m club medley relay.
It was a combination of what may well be the future of Australian teams moving towards an exciting re-birth for Australian men’s swimming over the next decade and the pathway towards Brisbane 2032.
SPLASHDOWN: Flynn Southam has been in scintillating form at the Australian Age Championships. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
The relay demolition came after Southam’s 47.95 in the 4x100m freestyle the night before as the 17-year-old under Bond Head Coach, Chris Mooney leads an exciting ground of next gen boys – and focusing on a relay culture that has been the construction site in building towards the next three Olympic campaigns for the Dolphins.
The Bond foursome were led off last night by 18-year-old Fergus McLachlan with a 56.61 backstroke lead off, followed by 17-year-old Gideon Burnes and his 1:02.29 in the breaststroke before Jesse Coleman chimed in with his 53.31 in the butterfly leg.
McLachlan, Coleman and Southam were all members of the silver medal winning Australian team from last year’s Junior Pan Pacs in Hawaii that were narrowly beaten by a USA team led off by backstroking star Daniel Diehl, the Americans out-touching the Australians who set a new Championship record.
Burnes has been one of the break through performers at this meet – winning the 17 years 100/200m breaststroke in 1:02.40 and 2:14.49 – who has impressed Bond’s director of swimming Kyle Samuelson.
While McLachlan has already won the 50m backstroke, with his 100 and 200m still to come; Southam has won the 50m freestyle in 22.40 and finished second to Anders McAlpine in the 400m and he too has the 100 and 200m to come over the next three days, as does fly specialist Coleman.
Meanwhile Carlile Swim Team’s Olivia Wunsch next gen star is emerging as one of the real stars amongst many at the National Age titles.
WE SALUTE YOU: Smile says it all for Carlile’s Olivia Wunsch. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
Last night, Wunsch and Jessica Cole (Wests Illawarra, NSW) hit the wall locked together in the 16 years 100m butterfly with just 0.26 separating the pair.
Wunsch (Carlile, NSW), won her third title in 24 hours – taking out the 16-years 100m butterfly clocking 59.39 from Cole (Wests Illawarra, NSW) in 59.65 – both in personal best times.
With just 26 hundredths separating the pair, it set the scene for a series of cracking finishes as Australia’s finest Age groupers continue to battle it out for places on Australia’s 32-strong team for this year’s World Junior Championships in Israel in September.
Both girls swimming their way into the top 10 all-time fastest Australian 16-year-olds – a list that includes Olympians Stephanie Rice, Brianna Throssell and Jessica Schipper.
For Wunsch, it comes after her spectacular start to Age campaign start last night when she won the 200IM-50m freestyle double – the 50m freestyle in 24.85 – a time that would have seen her finish fifth in the Commonwealth Games and time only beaten by two other 16-year-old Australians – Cate Campbell and her London 2012 Olympic team mate Yolane Kukla.
The blanket finishes continued in the 18 years boys 50m freestyle with MLC Aquatic VIC’s getting the touch in 22.88 just 0.03 ahead of Tane Bidois (Knox Pymble, NSW) in 22.91 and Edward Somerville (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 23.03.
YEAH BABY: Matthew Kim takes the win in the boys 200m breststroke. aPhoto Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
Here was just 0.02 between Matthew Kim (SOPAC, NSW) and Randal Ingram (St Peters Western, QLD) in the 16 years boys 200m breaststroke with Kim, swimming in lane eight getting the touch over Ingram in lane four, 2:20.04 to 2:20.06 – Kim taking the lead at the 100m mark and holding on – just!
The girls 17 years 100m breaststrokers also put on a display with the ATC’s Isabella Johnson from the Cruiz club getting the touch in 1:09.69 ahead of Sophie
Martin (Somerville House, QLD) 1:09.96 – just 0.27 between them.
Before St Leonard’s College Victoria’s Max Mangini out-touched Warringah Aquatic NSW’s Lachlan Davies by just 0.06 in the boys 14 years 50m butterfly – Magnini claiming the win in 25.75 with Davies touching in 25.81.
And to complete the night of the blanket finish Jack Morrow (Propulsion, VIC) and Kai Edwards (St Peters Western, QLD) put on a show in the 400m freestyle for 1`5 year old boys – Morrow getting the nod by just 0.04 – with his time of 4:04.38 to Gilbert’s 4:04.42.
There was also a ding dong battle in the final individual event of the night with St Peters Western’s training partners Benjamin Goedemans and Robert Thorpe putting on a stroke-for-stroke battle – Thorpe just 0.02 in front at the 800m but Goedemans pulling away to win in 15.27.75 to Thorpe’s 15.30.98.
While the Northern Territory’s teen sensation Macey Sheridan (Darwin, NT) made it four golds in four nights in the 13 years girls events – adding the 50m butterfly in 27.96 to her wins in the 100 and 200m backstrokes and 50m freestyle.
In other events:
Haig Buckingham. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
SOPAC’s Haig Buckingham produced a slick 1:01.60 to win the 18 years 100m breaststroke capping a strong night for the Sydney Olympic team.
ST PETERS WESTERN’s Amelia Weber added the 15-17 years 800m freestyle in 8:42.2 to her wins in the 200 and 400 metres freestyle.
AS DID Ava Gaske from Chandler who added the 400m freestyle in 4:20.04 to her wins in he 200 and 800m.
AND Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western, QLD) added the 200m backstroke in 2:12.98 to her win in the 50m backstroke in a slick 27.94.
2023 Australian Age Swimming Championships, finals, night 6
GIRLS
13 years
400m individual medley
- Heidi Shumack (SOPAC, NSW) 4:59.95
- Eloise McLellan (Somerville House, QLD)
- Allegra Crean (Marion, SA) 5:11.42
Heidi Shumack. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
14 years
200m breaststroke
- Olympia Pope (Miami, QLD) 2:31.31
- Lacey Strachan (Somerset, QLD) 2:35.32
- Lucy Porter (Westside Christchurch, WA) 2:35.58
Olympia Pope. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
400m freestyle
- Ava Gaske (Chandler, QLD) 4:20.04
- Lillie McPherson (Manly Swimming Club, NSW) 4:24.54
- Clara Carrocci (Norwood, SA) 4:26.12
15 years
200m breaststroke
- Hayley McKinder (Griffith University, QLD) 2:31.04
- Ella Mounter (Nuswim, NSW) 2:34.71
- Julia Remington (Yeronga Park, QLD) 2:34.75
Hayley McKinder. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
15-17 years
800m freestyle
- Amelia Weber (St Peters Western, QLD) 8:42.23
- Molly Walker (Southern Performance, SA) 8.47.54
- Taryn Roberts (Rocky City, QLD) 8:48.90
16 years
100m butterfly
- Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) 59.39
- Jessica Cole (Wests Illawarra, NSW) 59.65
- Hannah Casey (Marist College Ashgrove, QLD) 1:00.24
Olivia Wunsch Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
200m backstroke
- Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:12.98
- Charlotte Hinze (Helensvale, QLD) 2:17.66
- Inez Miller (St Hildas, WA) 2:19.23
17 years
50m freestyle
- Jaimie de Lutiis (Wests Illawarra, NSW) 25.37
- Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 25.73
- Semra Olowoniyi (DVE Aquatic, VIC)
100m breaststroke
- Isabella Johnson (Cruiz, ACT) 1:09.69
- Sophie Martin (Somerville House, QLD) 1:09.96
- Bella Zhang (Knox Pymble, NSW) 1:11.26
BOYS
14 years
400m individual medley
- Luke Higgs (Warringah Aquatic, NSW) 4:38.86
- Archie Kreutzberger (North Albury, NSW) 4:42.43
- Kayden Gibson (Gladstone South, QLD) 4:46.72
Luke Higgs. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
50m butterfly
- Max Mangini (St Leonards College, VIC) 25.75
- Lachlan Davies (Warringah, NSW) 25.81
- Logan Rieck (Norwood, SA) 26.38
15 years
200m breaststroke
- Nicholas Stoupas (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:19.94
- Ned Cane (SOPAC, NSW) 2:22.60
- Thomas Sutherland (Propulsion, VIC) 2:23.47
400m freestyle
- Jack Morrow (Propulsion, VIC) 4:04.38
- Kai Gilbert (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:04.42
- Lucas Fackerell (Breakers, WA) 4:07.71
16 years
200m breaststroke
- Matthew Kim (SOPAC, NSW) 2:20.04
- Randal Ingram (St Peters Western QLD) 2:20.06
- Oscar Kreutzberger (North Albury, NSW) 2:21.3
Matthew Kim. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
16-18 Years 1500m freestyle
- Benjamin Goedemans (St Peters Western, QLD) 15.27.75
- Robert Thorpe (St Peters Western, QLD) 15.30.98
- Tommy Lane (Haileybury, VIC) 15.49.53
17 years
100m butterfly
- Thomas Pattison (Churchie, QLD) 53.89
- Daniel Boshart (Scarborough Beach, WA) 55.18
- Kai Lilienthal (Knox Pymble, NSW) 55.31
200m backstroke
- Alexander Foreman (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins, NSW) 2:01.65
- Clancy Luscombe (Marion, SA) 2:03.37
- Joshua Kerr (Manly Swimming Club, NSW) 2:03.98
18 years
50m freestyle
- Toby Mcomish (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 22.88
- Tane Bidois (Knox Pymble, NSW) 22.91
- Edward Sommerville (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 23.03
THE JOYS OF WINNING FOR SOPAC RISING STAR HEIDI SHUMACK
Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
Photo Courtesy:Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
Photo Courtesy:Swimming Australia (Rebecca Ohlwein).
McLachlan did not win the 50 back. It was Lambert followed by Robb. McLachlan came 7th. It was all within 0.35 seconds though.