Australia’s selection process for the Olympics will take place April 7th – 14th in Adelaide. Here is a day by day overview courtesy of Australian Swimming
Day one
Men’s 400m Freestyle – Grant Hackett Chases History
Night one will start with a bang! Expect to see experience take on potential as the legendary Grant Hackett could line up behind the blocks against rising stars Mack Horton and David Mckeon in the final of the men’s 400m freestyle. A triple-Olympian with more than 12 years on Horton and McKeon, it’s fair to say that Hackett can hack it! He has his heart set on a ticket to Rio but defending champion Horton and three time Australian Champion in this event, McKeon will give him a run for his money.
Watch Grant Hacket Talk About Competing for a spot on Australia’s Olympic Swim Team
Women’s Multi Class 50m Backstroke
Paralympians Ellie Cole and Maddie Elliott could be the first to take on a final when they race in the Women’s Multi Class 50m backstroke. It’s Cole’s pet event but young Elliott isn’t one to hold back in a race.
In other events: Keep an eye on Tom Fraser-Holmes and Travis Mahoney in the men’s 400IM and Keryn McMaster and Blair Evans in the corresponding women’s event.
Day two
Women’s 100m Butterfly – Swim like a Girl
Emma McKeon will be looking to qualify in the 100m fly for her first Olympic Games and proudly join her Father (Ron, coach) and brother (David) in the elite Olympic group. As the defending Australian Champion in this event, McKeon will come up against fellow World Champs teammate Madeline Groves, as well as Olympians Alicia Coutts and Brittany Elmslie.
Australia boasts some of the best female swimmers in the world and our champion female swimmers will be the ones to watch night 2 – and they all very proudly swim like girls… with SKILL, POWER and ELEGANCE!
Women’s 100m Multi Class Backstroke
Expect to see another great performance from Ellie Cole in the 100m Multi Class backstroke, an event she won gold in at the London Paralympics.
Women’s 400m Freestyle
World Championship bronze medalist Jessica Ashwood will be fighting for a seat on the plane to Rio in the women’s 400m freestyle against Olympian Bronte Barratt and rising star Leah Neale, with world junior champion Tamsin Cook also in the mix for a rookie spot on the team.
In other events: the men’s 100m backstroke Multi Class will see Paralympian Michael Anderson lining up against the next generation of Dolphins including Timothy Hodge and Tim Disken.
Day Three
Men and Women’s 100m Backstroke
The action is red hot on night three with dual World Champions Emily Seebohm and Mitch Larkin looking to take center stage in the 100m backstroke finals. The golden duo could have the crowd on the edge of their seats, with the world record line in reach for both. Seebohm will need to keep an eye on Kazan silver medalist Madi Wilson as well as her training partner and world junior champion Minna Atherton with both expected to be in hot on her heels.
Men’s 400m Multi Class Freestyle
The SA Aquatic & Leisure Center could be in for a treat with the men’s Multi Class 400m free kicking off proceedings tonight. IPC World record holder Brenden Hall will be the one to watch. Hall will be looking to put his name in the bag for Rio selection but could face challenges from Rowan Crothers and Sean Russo.
In other events: The men’s 200m freestyle final will see the best of the best line up for a shot at selection. The top two times could earn individual swims in Rio and the top six are up for relay contention, so the boy’s won’t be leaving anything to chance tonight. Look out for, Cam McEvoy, Tom Fraser-Holmes, Grant Hackett, Dan Smith and David McKeon.
Day Four
200m to RIO!
Night four is all about 200 meters – with 8 races on the program at that distance. In the hotly contested women’s 200m free expect to see an in form Emma McKeon trying to get the better of her training partner and Olympic bronze medallist Bronte Barratt. In swimming, if you have a lane, you have a chance, so don’t discount the likes of Brittany Elmslie, Jessica Ashwood and Leah Neale who will all be on the hunt for a top two finish or a coveted relay spot. Can Alicia Coutts make a comeback in the 200m individual medley? The swimmer took a year off from competition and the master of many strokes could announce her return with a ticket to Rio. London Olympian Blair Evans could also be a wildcard in this event.
Women’s 200m Freestyle Multi Class
Paralympic silver medalist in this event from London 2012, Taylor Corry will be hoping to book her ticket to Rio tonight as she takes on her pet event the women’s 200m Freestyle Multi Class. Challenging her for the title will be her fellow London Paralympic teammate, 100m free specialist Maddie Elliott.
Day Five
Who will be Top Gun?
Men’s 100m Freestyle
Do you have the need, the need for speed? Then you’ve come to the right place. Tonight catch them if you can as the fastest men in Australia line up to settle the score in the sprint freestyle. It’s James Magnussen V Cam McEvoy V Kyle Chalmers all on the hunt for that elusive individual race in Rio. Magnussen has the 2013 World title to his name, but McEvoy has shown consistently good form this year. The surprise packet will be local South Australian Chalmers who could cause an upset tonight.
Men and Women’s Multi Class 100m Freestyle
The men’s and women’s Multi Class 100m free will open the night with IPC World Champion Maddie Elliott going head-to-head with Ellie Cole and fellow IPC World Championship teammates Taylor Corry and Lakeisha Patterson providing tough competition. Blink and you’ll miss them tonight!
In other events: The fight for first place in the women’s 200m butterfly will pit defending champion Maddie Groves up against her world championship teammate Brianna Throssell; who will fly and who will soar, only time will tell.
Day Six
World’s best Sister Act
We’re keeping it in the family tonight as the sister act Cate and Bronte Campbell take sibling rivalry to a whole new level. Cate took this title last year but Bronte is reigning world champion so the title is anyone’s for the taking. Looking to spoil the sibling’s success will be London Olympians Melanie Wright and Brittany Elmslie while Emma McKeon, Emily Seebohm and Alicia Coutts will also turn up the speed and could be top picks for the relay in Rio.
The Multi Class medleys will also be on show in South Australia with Paralympic legends Ahmed Kelly and Grant Patterson wowing the crowd in the men’s event while fellow Paralympian Katherine Downie will be the one to watch when she lines up against Madeleine Scott and Taylor Corry in the women’s event.
Day Seven
100% Inspiration and 50 Metres Of Perspiration
If you’re looking for inspiration you’ve come to the right place. Tonight is the night our Paralympic athletes take center stage and we announce the 2016 Swimming Australia Paralympic Squad.
Men’s 50m Freestyle
There will be no time to catch your breath during the men’s 50m freestyle final as eight men power down the pool at full throttle. Following the 100m free on night 5, the boy’s will be racing for revenge and a shot at the splash and dash title for 2016. James Magnussen was crowned the sprint king in this event last year but don’t discount an in form Cam McEvoy or home-crowd hero Kyle Chalmers.
Women’s 200m Backstroke
You also don’t want to miss the women’s 200m back final, as five women race in an all-star line-up, for just two spots on the Australian Dolphins Swim Team. Dual World Champion Emily Seebohm, World Championship silver medalists Madi Wilson and Belinda Hocking, World Championship representative Hayley Baker and World Junior Champion Minna Atherton are all after a top two finish.
In other events: The smiling assassin Jessica Ashwood will be looking to go the distance in the women’s 800m freestyle final.
Day Eight (April 14)
THEME: SPIRIT OF THE GREEN AND GOLD
Sister Act II and the 1500m boys for the Spirit of the Green and Gold
50m freestyle
Defending Champion: Cate Campbell (Commercial, QLD)
Olympic Qualifying time: 24.52
The final individual race on the women’s program, featuring the sisters of speed – Cate Campbell, the defending and four-time Australian champion, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist v little sister, reigning world champion Bronte Campbell. Swimming’s version of the Williams sisters go head-to-head for a rare Olympic opportunity for two sisters to race the same event. Those trying to spoil the family 1-2 include Melanie Wright (Southport Olympic, QLD), Emma McKeon (St Peters Western, QLD) and Brittany Elmslie (Brisbane Grammar, QLD). Swim 24 seconds or better and you’re a chance.
1500m freestyle
Defending Champion: Mack Horton (Melbourne Vicentre)
Olympic Qualifying time: 14:57.82
Australia’s race –an event in which Australia has won eight gold medals in the Olympic arena – has two new rising stars in Mack Horton (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) and Jordan Harrison (Miami, QLD) with late bloomer Jack McLoughlin and Chandler training partner David McKeon of 200 and 400 fame also in the field. Horton, the bespectacled university student from Melbourne has his eyes squarely on making this race his own after a disappointing World Championships when he didn’t make the final after taking bronze in the 800m. (It was later revealed he was suffering from a microscopic parasite). Horton has swum the third fastest 1500m time by an Australian – bettered only by Olympic champions Grant Hackett and Kieren Perkins and he knows a repeat of that winning form from last year (14:44.09) and he will be Rio bound. Harrison, who clocked 14:51.02 in 2013 also knows that a similar time to his best will also see him on the plane and give Australia a two-pronged Olympic attack, something we haven’t had since Hackett and Perkins won gold and silver in 2000 in Sydney.
News provided by Swimming Austraila
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