AUSTRALIAN TRIALS, Day 2, Heats: Elijah Winnington v The Son Of A Gun in Men’s 200m Freestyle Final
Elijah Winnington will be chasing his second Olympic qualifier when he lines up against the son of a swimming legend in tonight’s 200m freestyle final on night two of the Australian Trials in Brisbane.
Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD; coach Dean Boxall) snatched his berth on the Dolphins team for Paris last night in his main event, the men’s 400m freestyle and was back in the water this morning, clocking 1:45.95 (under the QT of 1:45.97) – the fastest time of the preliminary heats.
But he did it without second placed Sam Short (Rackleys, QLD) from last night’s 400m, who withdrew from the 200m to concentrate on the 800 and 1500m freestyle.
SON OF A GUN: Kai Taylor and mum Hayley Lewis. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr Swimming Australia.
But if Winnington’s heat win is anything to go by, he could well have to beat his training partner Kai Taylor(1:46.29) again in the final – Taylor, the son of triple Olympian from Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney, Hayley Lewis.
A spot on the team for Paris for Taylor, individually or in Australia’s 4x200m relay, will continue the Olympic family swimming tree which sprouted last night with the qualification of Lani Pallister – daughter of 1988 Olympian Janelle Elford and Ella Ramsay – daughter of Heath Ramsay – a teammate of Hayley’s in Sydney 2000.
The top eight 200m freestyle qualifiers (QT 1:45.97):
Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:45.95
Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:46.29
Zac Incerti (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:46.59
Max Giuliani (Miami, QLD) 1:46.72
Alex Graham (Miami, QLD) 1:46.87
Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 1:47.07
Thomas Neill (Rackley, QLD) 1:47.10 and;
Brendon Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 1:47.58
Meanwhile, three-time world freestyle champion, world record holder and Tokyo Olympian, Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD; Coach Dean Boxall) leads the qualifiers into the women’s 100m backstroke final in 58.73.
“Mollie O” clocked a faster time than defending Olympic champion and last night’s 200IM winner, Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD; Coach: Michael Bohl) who cruised into second in 59.03 – both already under the QT of 59.62 with Hannah Fredericks (St Peters Western, QLD; Coach Dean Boxall) next on 59.72.
McKeown looking to qualify for one of her two pet events as she sets her sights on defending her title won in Tokyo.
McKeown (100 and 200m backstroke), Ariarne Titmus (200, 400m freestyle) and Emma McKeon (50, 100m freestyle) looking to emulate the great Dawn Fraser – the only Australian female to successfully defend her Olympic title and she did it twice defending her 1956, 100m freestyle gold in 1960 and again in 1964.
DAILY DOUBLE: Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photography.
Making the final in lane eight is four-time Olympian and 2012 silver medallist in this event, Emily Seebohm (St Margaret’s, QLD; Coach: Matt Brown) at aged 32 and eight months after giving birth to son Samson, scaping into lane eight in 1:01.01.
Other qualifiers: Iona Anderson (Breakers WA; Coach Ben Higson) 59.96; Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western, QLD; Coach Dean Boxall)1:00.30; Minna Atherton (Bond, QLD; Coach: Chris Mooney) 1:00.90.
In the women’s 100m breaststroke, less than half-a-second separates the first five swimmers for tonight’s final – with Tokyo Olympian Jenna Strauch (Miami, QLD; Coach: Richard Scarce) the fastest in this morning’s heats with her 1:07.58.
Followed by 26-year-old Tokyo Olympian Abbey Harkin (St Peters Western, QLD; Coach Dean Boxall) 1:07.59; last night’s 200IM qualifier Ella Ramsay (Chandler, QLD; coach Vince Raleigh) 1:07.70; former Tasmanian Matilda Smith; Miami, QLD; Coach: Richard Scarce) 1:08.03 and 15-year-old rising star Sienna Toohey (Albury, NSW; Coach Wayne Gould) 1:08.04.
The women have it all to do to make the QT of 1:06.31.
The men’s 100m backstrokers, with a tough QT ask of 53.21, will be led into the final by Bradley Woodward(Mingara, NSW; Coach Adam Kable) 53.78 and Tokyo Olympian Isaac Cooper (St Andrews, QLD; Coach:Ashley Delaney) 53.91 and 19-year-old Enoch Robb (All Saints, QLD; Coach Ken Sabotic) 54.58 and triple Olympian and former world champion Mitch Larkin (Chandler, QLD; Coach Vince Raleigh) 54.76.
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