Australian Short Course Champs Day 2: With Kaylee Away Iona Anderson Comes Out To Play In The 200m Backstroke
With Kaylee McKeown sitting out day two of the Australian Short Course Championships it was over to rookie Paris Olympian, Iona Anderson to make the most of the absence of swimming’s backstroking queen.
Twenty-four hours after her world record breaking opening swim in the 100m backstroke, McKeown withdrew from the morning’s heats.
Knowing her Olympic gold medal swim would earn her a place if she decides to swim at the December World Championships in December.
And as Anderson has shown since last year’s World Junior Championships, where the 18-year-old former champion gymnast from Western Australia, won her maiden world title, she continues to give the Dolphins a strong 1-2 punch on the world stage.
Anderson, coached by former British coach Ben Higson at the WA Institute of Sport, scored an all-the-way victory in the 200m backstroke final in 2:01.80 -the sixth fastest time by an Australian.
And following the opening night records to McKeown and Ed Sommerville (200m freestyle) and Josh Yong (100m breaststroke) the records continued – in fact two in the one day in the 50m breaststroke to Queensland’s Commonwealth Games finalist Grayson Bell (Somerville House, QLD) – going so close to a sub-26.00.
There were also doubles to Ed Sommerville and Tara Kinder who added the 200m freestyle and 400IM respectively.
Women’s 200m backstroke
Emerging WA backstroker Iona Anderson took full advantage of Kaylee McKeown’s absence to win her first open National title in 2:01.80 – the 6th fastest all-time Australian and well under the World Championship qualifying time as was second placegetter Bella Grant’s 2:04.12.
- Iona Anderson (Breakers, WA) 2:01 80 QT
- Bella Grant (Trinity Grant, NSW) 2:04.12 QT
- Poppy Stephen (Nudgee, QLD) 2:07.54
Men’s 200m backstroke
After the heartbreak of missing the cut for the Paris Olympics, former WA boy Josh Edwards-Smith is determined to finish 2024 on a high and his slick performance tonight to win the 200m backstroke in a World Championship qualifier of 1:49.14 and the second fastest time ever by an Australian. Only bettered by former world champion Mitch Larkin’s 1:45.63.
- Josh Edwards-Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 1:49.14 QT
- Enoch Robb (All Saints, QLD) 1:50.77 QT
- Stuart Swinburn (City of Sydney, NSW) 1:51.83
Women’s 50m breaststroke
- Mia O’Leary (Griffith University, QLD) 30.09
- Sienna Toohey (Albury, NSW)30.40
- Sienna Harben (Bond, QLD) 30.47
Men’s 50m breaststroke
Commonwealth Games finalist Grayson Bell’s completed a perfect day in the pool breaking his second Australian record of the day in the 50m breaststroke final – stopping the clock at 26.02 after his morning heat swim of 26.11. Bell, who will contest the 50m freestyle on Sunday, co-held the previous record at 26.24
- Grayson Bell (Somerville House, QLD) 26.02
- James McKechnie (Starplex, SA) 26.42
- Nash Wilkes (Southport, Q LD) 26.52
Women’s 100m freestyle
World Junior Championship 100m silver medallist Milla Jansenlived up to her recent best form, swimming her way into the All-time Australian Top Ten, her winning time of 52.31 moving her into 9th and amongst the who’s who of Australian freestyle sprinting and breaking her own Australian 17 years record, previously held by Paris relay gold medallist Shayna Jack. All three girls under the Budapest QT – Alexandria Perkins and Lani Pallister posting pbs as well.
- Milla Jansen (Bond, QLD) 52.31 QT
- Alexandria Perkins (St Peters Western, QLD) 52.85 QT
- Lani Pallister (Griffith University, QLD) 52.91 QT
Men’s 100m freestyle
Bold teenager Ed Somerville, the boy whom dislocated his shoulder six months ago claimed a rare 100-200m freestyle double, adding the 100m in the 9th fastest time by an Australian with his pb of 46.84 (22.22) to his Australian record winning swim on night one, powering home to out-touch Jamie Jack and Harrison Turner – all three under the QT of 47.12 – and Jack, brother of Olympic golden girl Shayna Jack making a bold bid for his first major Australian team.
- Ed Somerville (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 46.84 QT
- Jamie Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) 46.91 QT
- Harrison Turner (Nudgee, QLD) 47.08 QT
Women’s 400 IM
Rising Victorian star Tara Kinder charged home over the final 100m freestyle leg to claim her second win of the meet and with her second World Championship QT in the 400IM in 4:29.78 – the fifth fastest time by an Australian. Adding to her win in the 100m breaststroke on the first night of competition. Kayla Hardy joining Kinder under the World’s time.
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 4:29.78 QT
- Kayla Hardy (Cruiz, ACT) 4:31.77 QT
- Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:37.94
Men’s 400IM
Arizona State University-based Victorian, David Schlicht, used all the skills that makes him a valuable member of the Sun Devils Swim Team to win his second Australian 400IM Australian title in 4:03.55 to post an impressive QT for Budapest. All three placegetters under the World SC time.
- David Schlicht (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 4:03.55 QT
- Karl Albertyn (Miami, QLD) 4:07.90
- Gabriel Gorgas (Manly, NSW) 4:07.97