Brisbane schoolgirl Elizabeth Dekkers has wasted no time staking another flying leap towards Tokyo selection, clocking the fourth fastest time in the world this year with her stunning 200m butterfly of 2:07.25 (28.86; 1:01.23;1:33.61) on a rain swept Gold Coast tonight.
Dekkers (Newmarket Racers, QLD) tore her own 16 years Australian and Australian All-Comers records apart – ripping 0.57 off her own previous Australian marks of 2:07.82 set at the Queensland State Championships in December.
The time has only been bettered in the first three months of 2021 by: Boglarka Kapas (HUN) 2:06.85; Hali Flickinger (USA) 2:07.20 and Suzuka Hasegawa (JPN) 2:07.24.
It also sneaks her into the Australian All-Time Top Ten – joining the who’s who of the Dolphins butterfliers – including Olympic champions Susie O’Neill, Petria Thomas and Stephanie Rice and is well under the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:08.43.
Coached by Bob and Steve Miller, Dekkers owned the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre on the opening night of the 2021 Australian Age Swimming Championships, declaring she was thrilled with her result and added it was wonderful to be back racing.
“It feels really good to continue to bring that time down, so I’m happy with that – I just wanted to be strong in the first 100m and just try to hold on,” Dekkers said.
“I always try and swim my own race, but I was looking beside me the whole time. It also feels really good to be back on pool deck, I’ve really missed it, especially Australian titles.”
AUSTRALIAN ALL-TIME TOP TEN 200 Metres Butterfly
- 2:03.41 Jessicah Schipper, Rome 30.07.09
- 2:04.88 Madeline Groves, Rio 10.08.16
- 2:05.81 Susie O’Neill, Sydney 17.05.00
- 2:05.99 Samantha Hamill, Rome 29.07.09
- 2:06.01 Petria Thomas, Sydney 29.03.04
- 2:06.08 Stephanie Rice, Shanghai 28.07.
- 2:06.58 Brianna Throssell, Adelaide 11.04.
- 2:06.80 Laura Taylor, Gold Coast 28.02.18
- 2:07.06 Ellen Gandy, Melbourne 19.01.14
- 2:07.25 Elizabeth Dekkers, Gold Coast 07.04.21
Battling it out for silver and bronze in lanes five and three were Nudgee College’s and Epping’s Anneke Van Zoggel. In the end it was Kritzinger who touched ahead – 2:13.71 to 2:14.56.
In the corresponding event for the boys, Caleb Dryer (Trinity Grammar, NSW) took the spoils in an enthralling 200m butterfly race. Clocking 2:02.43, Dryer beat out Daniel McLoughlin (Kincumber Pacific, NSW) 2:03.33 for silver and Jesse Coleman (Bond, QLD) bronze in 2:04.39.
Transitioning from a gruelling 200m butterfly to a fast and furious splash and das in the Boys 17-over 50m freestyle – it couldn’t have been much closer in the Boys 17-years 50m freestyle.
WINNER WINNER: Chicken dinner for an excited Isaac Cooper (Rackley Swim Team) in the 17 years 50m freestyle. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
In a frantic burst for the wall, Toowoomba’s Brisbane-based Isaac Cooper (Rackley Swim Team) and Edward Speller (Melbourne Vicentre) had spectators on their feet but it was Cooper (22.86), only three one hundredths of a second in front of Speller’s 22.89.
Uni of Queensland’s Bryce Belcher (22.98)won the bronze.
It was all Bailey Lello (Churchie, QLD) in the Boys 17-years 100m Breaststroke, edging out Knox Pymble’s Joshua Collett and Yannik Zwolsman to claim the Australian Age title. The race came down to the wire with Lello pushing himself in 1:02.23, to Collett’s 1:02.59 and Zwolsman’s 1:03.52.
HAPPY HANNAH: MCA QLD’s Hannah Casey – prevailed in the Girls 14 years 100m butterfly, winning in 1:01.13. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
MCA QLD’s Hannah Casey – who qualified fastest heading into the final – prevailed in the Girls 14 years 100m butterfly, winning in 1:01.13. Sally Vagg from Rocky City snared silver in 1:01.56 while Giselle Davey from Firbank Aquastars snuck in from lane one to bag bronze in 1:02.63.
MLC Flippers squad mates Ella Ramsay (St Peters Western) and Sydney Brown (Wests Illawara) went stroke-for-stroke in the Girls 16-years 100m Freestyle.
In a gripping contest it was Ramsay who managed to take the gold in 55.30 ahead of Brown (55.87). Rounding out the podium was Madeleine Hardy from Trinity Grammar, NSW with the bronze in 56.81.
Sprinting in unison for the majority of the race and with hardly a stroke separating the pack at the first turn, the Boys 16-year 100m Freestyle was a blistering final.
With only 0.21 of a second separated first and third, with Jamie Mooney (Wagga Wagga, NSW) claiming the title in a time of 51.43, ahead of Hugh Dolle (St Peters Western) 51.51 and local Bond athlete, Jesse Coleman (51.64).
The night concluded with a host of epic relay events, access the results here.More results from night three:
Girls 14-years 200m Individual Medley
Gold – Taryn Roberts, Rocky City, 2:18.84
Silver – Olivia Wunsch, Carlile, 2:20.43
Bronze – Francesca Chitukudza, Moreton Bay, 2:23.26
Boys 14-years 200m Individual Medley
Gold – Ike Martinez, Tas Swimming, 2:12.47
Silver – Hayden Hoang, MLC Marlins, 2:12.79
Bronze – Bailey Screen, Willoughby, 2:13.92
IKE CAN DO IT: Cairns schooloboy Ike Martinez has every reason to celebrate taking the 14 years 200IM and the 100m butterfly double. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Girls 13-years 200m Freestyle
Gold – Zara Kasprowicz, Warringah Aquatic, 2:05.83
Silver – Zoe Ammundsen, Rackley, 2:06.22
Bronze – Mikayla Bird, Bond, 2:07.50
Girls 14-years 400m Freestyle
Gold – Taryn Roberts, Rocky City, 4:17.06
Silver – Milla Jansen, Bond, 4:21.95
Bronze – Hannah Allen, Rackley, 4:24.76
ROCKET GIRL: Rockhampton’s Taryn Roberts starts her busy week with the first of two wins on the opening night in the 200IM, later claiming the 400m freestyle. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Boys 14-years 200m Backstroke
Gold – Hayden Hoang, MLC Marlins, 2:07.09
Silver – Nicholas Gladen, Macquarie Uni, 2:12.28
Bronze – Cooper Portlock, SOPAC, 2:12.39
Girls 15-years 200m Backstroke
Gold – Claveria Johnson-Tiumalu, St Peters Western, 2:17.45
Silver – Semra Olowoniyi, St Peters Western, 2:19.26
Bronze – Bella Grant, Trinity Grammar, NSW, 2:19.77
HANDY WIN: Claveria Johnson-Tiumalu, St Peters Western, nails the 15 years 200m backstroke. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Boys 15-years 200m Backstroke
Gold – Flynn Southam, Bond, 2:02.44
Silver – Clancy Luscombe, Marion, 2:06.62
Bronze – Jy Parkison, Cannonvale Cannons, 2:10.09
FLYNN’S BACK: Bond’s Flynn Southam starts his Age campaign wiuth a strong win in the 200m backstroke. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Boys 14-years 100m Butterfly
Gold – Ike Martinez, Tas Swimming, 57.30
Silver – Marcus Da Silva, City of Sydney, 58.31
Bronze – James Gauci, SOPAC, 58.69
Girls 13-years 200m Breaststroke
Gold – Julia Remington, Palm Beach Currumbin, 2:40.58
Silver – Meghan Guthrie-Quinn, Acqua Rosa Clayfield, 2:42.20
Bronze – Holly Hembling, Bond, 2:42.29
Boys 14-15-years 1500 Freestyle
Gold – Xavier Metcalfe, Fraser Coast, 16:47.66
Silver – Samuel Thorpe, St Peters Western, 16:48.85