Emma McKeon Blasts Out A 52.19 To Lead 100m Freestylers Into Tonight’s Final
Emma McKeon has blasted out the fastest 100m freestyle in the past two years, clocking a stunning 52.19 – the eighth fastest time in history in another super show of strength from Australia’s female freestylers on the day two heats program at the Australian Olympic Trials in Adelaide.
It makes her the fourth fastest swimmer in history – with only world record holder Sarah Sjostrom (51.71), her Australian team mater Cate Campbell and the USA’s Olympic and World champion Simone Manuel ever swimming faster.
McKeon (Griffith University), , already on the team for Tokyo in the 100m butterfly and the 200m freestyle, blasted off the blocks splitting 24.95 and swimming away from the field to miss Campbell’s Commonwealth and Australian record of 52.03 – by 0.16 – that is under siege tonight.
Early speed and a powerful backend that will make her hard to beat not only tonight but place her well and truly in the medal mix in Tokyo in a month’s time.
Campbell (Knox Pymble, NSW) is the second fastest qualifier, winning the first heat in 52.78 (25.30), certainly out in typical Campbell fashion but appearing to back off over the final stages to conserve for tonight’s big final.
Also impressing were the ever present Madi Wilson (Marion, SA) who finished on strongly behind Campbell to clock 53.06, the third fastest time of the day, with St Peters Western 19-year-old young gun Meg Harris third in a big personal best of 53.23.
The third heat saw Bronte Campbell (Knox Pymble) put her hand up too, stopping the clock at 53.35 to clock 53.35 – with another of St Peters Western’s rising stars 17-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan – second to McKeon in 53.57, sixth.
The other two qualifiers for tonight’s final are Brianna Throssell (UWA West Coast, WA) 54.29 and Leah Neale (Chandler) 54.32.
Meanwhile in other events:
Mitch Larkin (St Peters Western) – produced an impressive 200IM heat swim of 1:59.21 from 400IM qualifiers Se-Bom Lee (Carlile, NSW)_ 2:01.54 and Brendon Smith (Nunawading, VIC) 2:01.98 and All saints Qld, Thomas Hauck 2:02.45 – all striving for the all important 1:57.98 Olympic qualifier.
Jenna Strauch (Bond), who trains under Richard Scarce at Rackley Miami showed her strength in the 200m breaststroke – clocking the fastest time of the day of 2:25.24 from St Peters Western’s Abbey Harkin (2:27.49) and Nunawading pair Mikayla Smith (2:27.64) and Zoe Deacon (2:28.36) – as they chase the 2:24.18 qualifying time and;
Tristan Hollard (Southport Olympic, QLD), who looked very comfortable with his 1:58.79 in winning his 200m backstroke heat, as did 2016 Olympian Travis Mahoney (Marion, SA) who stormed home to take his heat in 1:58.82 with WA’s Joshua Edwards-Smith third fastest in 1:59.37.- chasing the 1:57.26 automatic qualification.
Wouldn’t she be fifth fastest if we include Britta Steffens former world record ?
What about Steffen’s 52.07?