Australian star Madi Wilson out of ISL after clocking a hot 100 in SA State Short Course
Rio Olympian and World Championship relay gold medallist Madi Wilson is the latest Australian to withdraw from the International Swimming League, due to start in Budapest later this month.
Wilson’s coach at Marion Swim Club in Adelaide, Peter Bishop today confirmed his star freestyle-backstroker would be staying in Australia.
“Madi is not doing the ISL and won’t be going to Budapest,” said Bishop, who had also withdrawn as one of the coaches on the London Roar Team.
READY TO ROCK: Madi Wilson ready to fly off the blocks on the way to Australia’s 4x200m freestyle relay WR. Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant
The Queensland born Wilson, who now calls South Australia home, is in tip top form too, and would have been a major asset to the LA Current.
The only Australians left in the ISL are triple Olympian Emily Seebohm (Energy Standard) and Nunawding (Victoria) rookie all-rounder Brendon Smith (NY Breakers).
Wilson clocked a career best 100m freestyle in an innovative time trial event against two select Under 13 age group relay teams on the opening night of the SA State Short Course Championships at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre, which concluded last night.
Wilson lined up against the two local 4x50m freestyle teams, swimming two lanes apart, with the star backstroker-turned-freestyler finishing second and producing a classy 52.13 (25.21) to maintain her listing as Australia’s seventh fastest all-time 100m short course freestyler.
POOLSIDE PETE: Four-time Olympic swimming announcer Peter Graham still on deck in SA. Photo Courtesy: ABC Australia.
The relay event which was also called by SA’s legendary Olympic announcer, “Poolside” Peter Graham, was won by the Barracudas (50.19) unfortunately saw the Sharks foursome disqualified after both teams had been c hosen following their outstanding results at the State 13 Years and under championships.
Graham, like so many Australians, has been celebrating 20 years since he announced the swimming events at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Wilson has blossomed even further in her career since joining Bishop and the member of Australia’s 4x200m world record breaking 4x200m freestyle relay team from Gwangju last year, had earlier in the evening won the 400m freestyle in a handy 4:07.47 (2:00.99).
The three-day Championship meet, which lost is star attraction, Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers through injury was live streamed through a promotion arrangement between SA Swimming at News Limited’s Adelaide Advertiser newspaper.
On the eve of the meet Wilson, told the Advertiser she was looking forward to returning to competition following the COVID-19 break.
“It’s great that in SA we have been able to open up and have competitions and I am super excited to get back into it,” Wilson, 26, said.
“For us, I think it’s just about seeing where we are at with the interrupted year for us and seeing what we need to improve on in the next 12 months.
“(Making the) Olympics next year is my goal and it’s what drives me every day.”
MCFEAST: Commonwealth Games finalist James McKechnie won seven events at the SA Short Course. Photo Courtesy:
Commonwealth Games representative James McKechnie (Starplex), Rio Olympian Travis Mahoney (Marion) and Broken Hill born all-rounder Ellysia Oldsen (Marion) were the stars of the meet.
McKechnie, a 25-year-old Sports Engineer and Innovations Manager, chalked up seven wins, talking out the:
Breaststroke treble – 50 (27.37), 100 (1:00.31) and 200m (2:10.62);
50m freestyle (22.68) in a dead heat with team mate Jacob Desmond;
Individual Medley double 200 (1:59.84) and 400 IMs (4:17.92) and;
200m butterfly (2:04.31) – an event which has one of the oldest records in SA, set by Seoul Olympian Marty Roberts back in 1993 with a time of 1:55.33.
While Marion’s former Broken Hill Silver City Swim all-rounder Oldsen continued to show her versatility.
The 25-year-old Adelaide University Commerce graduate won three of the 50m events, the 50m freestyle in 24.93; the 50m butterfly in 26.51 and the 50m backstroke in 27.98; with Commonwealth Games gold medallist Leiston Pickett (Marion) taking the 50m breaststroke in 30.59 and the 100m 9n 1:06.96 and the 200m in 2:342,56.
Oldsen also adding the 100IM in 1:01.50; the 100m butterfly in 59.49 and the 100m backstroke in 1:01.16.
And it was also a busy weekend for 30-year-old Rio medley swimmer Mahoney who took out the backstroke treble – the 50m (24.95), the 100 (53.65) and the 200m (1:56.09) as well as the 100m freestyle in 49.49 and the 50m butterfly in 25.34.