Brooke Hanson Sets Aussie Mark, Penfold Sizzles on Day 2 of Aussie Short Course Champs
By Stephen J. thomas
HOBART, Australia, August 3. BREASTSTROKER Brooke Hanson showed her versatility to break the national record for the 100m IM by just 0.01 seconds, clocking 1:01.30 in a semifinal of the Australian Short Course Championships in Hobart. Her win was all the more impressive as she had injured a groin muscle just 30-minutes earlier in the final of the 200m breaststroke.
World Championship team-member Stephen Penfold became the fourth fastest Aussie performer over the 400m freestyle when he won his first national title in 3:41.85. Penfold’s training partner, world record-holder Grant Hackett, skipped this meet.
His World Championship teammate, Brenton Rickard, clocked a swift 59.34 in the 100m breaststroke semi-final tonight (2nd fastest all-time Aussie performer), just 0.27 seconds outside the national record.
Title and Australian record-holder Matt Welsh had an easy win in the 200m backstroke clocking a very solid 1:52.74 given he had just swum a semifinal of the 100m IM.
World Championships medalist Libby Lenton took two titles this evening. Her first win came in the 100m freestyle clocking 53.33 (she clocked a NR 52.97 in the semis) from fellow Queensland World Championship medalists Alice Mills (PR 54.15, 5th all-time Aussie) and Jodie Henry (PR 54.61, 8th all-time Aussie). Half an hour later she swam a PR 26.76 to take the 50m fly (4th all-time Aussie) from Felicity Galvez and Danni Miatke in a tie for silver in 26.89 (5th all-time Aussies).
Leisel Jones took out the 200m breaststroke from title-holder Brooke Hanson in a very solid 2:21.84. Giaan Rooney became only the third Aussie to go under the minute when she took out the 100m backstroke in 59.70 and title-holder Amanda Pascoe took out the 800m freestyle in 8:29.51.
In the absense of World Championships team members Geoff Huegill and Adam Pine, 19-year-old Joshua Taylor was a surprise winner of the 100m fly in a PR 52.99 to take his first national title. Sydneysider Jonathon Newton took the 50m free in 22.19 (PR 22.14 in the prelims).