Isaac Cooper Pops 20.81 50 Freestyle Screamer As Australia Names 24-Strong Dolphins Team for Short Course Worlds

by Ian Hanson - Oceania Correspondent

29 September 2024, 02:35pm

Isaac Cooper Pops 20.81 50 Freestyle Screamer As Australia Names 24-Strong Dolphins Team for Budapest SC Worlds

Queensland’s dual Olympian Isaac Cooper has sizzled down the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Adelaide faster than any other human in that part of the world, clocking 20.81 in the 50 freestyle to send out the Australian Sprints Meet, the 2024 Australian Short Course Championships, with a bang.

The World LC finalist in Fukuoka, who missed qualifying in the event at the Australian Olympic Trials for Paris, made sure he was off to strut his stuff at the 2024 World SC Championships in December – Cooper among 12 Paris Olympians on a 24-strong Australian Dolphins team named overnight for Budapest – a team that will be led by the “Unstoppable” Kaylee McKeown and fellow gold medalists, Female Swimmer of the 2022 SC World’s Lani Pallister and Meg Harris.

(SEE FULL TEAM BELOW).

Twenty-year-old Cooper clocked his world class SC personal best, scorching down the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre faster than anyone has ever swum in South Australia.

His 20.81 the third fastest ever swum by an Australian – his time only ever bettered by SA’s own 100m freestyle Olympic  champion from 2016 Kyle Chalmers’ Australian record of 20.68 (set in Kazan, Russia in 2021 and making him the 12^th fastest man ever) and Paris 2024 Olympic champion Cam McEvoy’s who holds the Australian All-Comers record at 20.75 (swum in Sydney in 2015, and the 21^st fastest swimmer in history).

Cooper’s time perched precariously just outside the list of the top 25 fastest men in history –the Ash Delaneycoached Cooper’s first time under the 21 seconds barrier – and only the sixth Australian to achieve the feat -joining Chalmers, McEvoy, Rio Olympian Matt Abood (20.89), former world short course champion over 100 freestyle Ashley Callus (20.94) and London Olympic silver medallist James Magnussen (20.98). US Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel holds the WR at a ridiculous 20.16, set in the ISL final in 2020.

And amongst a host of finial night slashing personal bests saw 21-year-old Victorian Tara Kinder cap off the meet of her life, blasting her way to a remarkable fourth title win and in arguably her best swim of the meet, clocking 2:18.25 – the second faster time ever by an Australian to win the 200m breaststroke.

Only Olympic champion Australia’s greatest ever breaststroker Leisel Jones’ 2:15.42 (World Cup Berlin 2009) is faster.

Kinder coming into the meet on 2:21.69, clocking 2:22.53 in the morning and then four seconds faster in the final.

Becoming only the fourth Australian under 2:20, joining Jones, dual Olympian Jenna Strauch and Beijing Olympian Sally Foster (who also swam at this meet at 39). Adding the win to her previous victories in the 100m breaststroke and the 200 and 400IM double.

And continuing her breakthrough meet, which has earned her a place on the World’s team for Budapest. Fellow Victorian, teenage sensation Lily Koch lowered another National Age record 2:21.97 – this time one of the oldest in the books – the 1997 15 years Australian Age mark of 2:22.68 – set by Queensland’s Kristy Ellem at the 1997 World SC Championships in Gothenburg – a time that has lasted 27 years.

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Day 4 Australian SC Championships, SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Adelaide

Women‘s 200m butterfly

1. Elizabeth Dekkers (Chandler, QLD) 2:03.13
2. Bella Grant (Trinity Grammar, NSW) 2:03.85
3. Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 2:03.9

World Championship silver medallist Elizabeth Dekkers, fourth at the Paris Olympics, led a personal best podium to the wall here, her 2:03.13, the third best time by an Australian bettered only by Ellen Gandy and Olympic silver medallist from Rio, Maddy Groves. While World Championship qualifier Bella Grant (2:03.85) and Brittany Castelluzzo (2:03.93) both climbed into the top ten in sixth and eighth respectively.

Men’s 200m butterfly

1. Harrison Turner (Nudgee, QLD) 1:52.95
2. Ruan Van Der Riet (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:55.22
3. Alex Fahey (Iona, QLD) 1:55.65)

Emerging Queenslander Harrison Turner showed his prowess to climb into the all-time top 10 with his massive pb of 1:52.95 (taking him into 8^th) with defending champion Ruan Van Der Riet second and newcomer Alex Fahey grabbing third with an impressive pb of 1:55.65.

Women’s 50m freestyle

1. Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 23.77
2. Milla Jansen (Bond, QLD) 24.10
3. Jaimie de Lutiis (Wests Illawarra, NSW) 24.38

Paris Olympian Alexandria Perkins gatecrashed her way into the Australian all-time top ten and her third win and fourth podium of the meet in new pb of 23.77 in the 50m freestyle from 100m winner and World Jnr silver medallist Milla Jansen (24.10) and her World Jnr teammate Jaimie de Lutiis (24.38) – both also clocking impressive personal bests.

Men’s 50m freestyle

1. Isaac Cooper (St Andrews, QLD) 20.81)
2. Jamie Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) 20.97
3. Thomas Nowakowski (USC Spartans, QLD) 20.99

A sizzling world class pb from dual Olympian Isaac Cooper, scorching down the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre faster than anyone has ever swum  – his 20.81 quicker than anyone has ever swum in this pool and the third fastest ever swum by an Australian – his time only ever bettered by SA’s own Olympic champions Kyle Chalmers Australian record of 20.68 (but set in Kazan, Russia in 2021 – the time making him and the 12^thfastest man ever) and Cam McEvoy’s Australian All-Comers record of 20.75 (swum in Sydney in 2015, the 21^stfastest swimmer in history) – Cooper’s  time perched precariously just outside the list of the top 25 fastest men in history –the Ash Delaney coached Cooper’s first time under the 21 seconds barrier – and only the sixth Australian to achieve the feat -joining Chalmers, McEvoy, Rio Olympian Matt Abood (20.89), former world short course champion Ashley Callus (20.94 ) and London Olympic silver medallist James Magnussen(20.98). US Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel holds the WR at a ridiculous 20.16, set in the ISL final in 2020.

Women’s 200m breaststroke

1. Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:18.25
2. Lily Koch (Nunawading, VIC) 2:21.97
3. Mikayla Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 2:22.06

Tara Kinder blasting her way to a remarkable fourth title win of the 2024 Australian SC championships, and in arguably her best swim of the meet, clocking 2:18.25 – the second faster time ever by an Australian to win the 200m breaststroke. Only Olympic champion Australia’s greatest ever breaststroker Leisel Jones’ 2:15.42 (World Cup Berlin 2009) is faster. Kinder coming into the meet on 2:21.69, clocking 2:22.53 in the morning and then four seconds faster in the final. Becoming only the fourth Australian under 2:20, joining Jones, dual Olympian Jenna Strauch and Beijing Olympian Sally Foster (who also swam at this meet at 39). Adding the win to her previous victories in the 100m breaststroke and the 200 and 400IM double. And continuing her breakthrough meet, which has earned her a place on the World’s team for Budapest. Fellow Victorian, teenage sensation Lily Koch lowered another National Age record 2:21.97 – this time one of the oldest in the books – the 1997 15 years Australian Age mark of 2:22.68 – set by Queensland’s Kristy Ellem at the 1997 World SC Championships in Gothenburg – a time that has lasted 27 years.

Men’s 200m breaststroke

1. Josh Yong I(UWA West Coast, WA) 2:03.56
2. Joshua Collett (Bond, QLD) 2:04.57
3. Bailey Lello (Chandler, QLD) 2:05.24

Paris Olympian and World SC relay gold medallist Josh Yong has led a new age trio of Australian male breaststrokers on a rampage in the 200m final in Adelaide, Yong clocking 2:03.56 to edge past Olympic champion and former LC World record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook to become the 3^rd fastest Australian behind Christian Sprenger 2:01.98 and Matt Wilson 2:02.89. Joshua Collett’s 2:04.57 making him the sixth best and Bailey Lello and his 2:05.24, completing a top ten re-shuffle and moving him into 8^th.

  Women’s 100m IM

1. Iona Anderson (Breakers, WA) 59.12
2. Jaimie de Lutiis (Wests Illawarra, NSW) 59.37
3. Kayla Hardy (Cruiz, ACT) 1:00.77

Paris Olympic finalist in the 100m backstroke Iona Anderson showed her versatility during these SC Nats , completing her four-days with her second win of the meet and a pb in the 100IM of 59.12. The backstroking Jn World Champ and World LC silver medallist moving from outside the all-time top ten into fourth behind Alicia Coutts, Emily Seebohm and Gabrielle Peiniger – a time that sees former two-time World SC champion Brooke Hanson’s 20-year presence in the Australian top ten come to an end – two decades after clocking her 1:00.01 to win one of her five gold medals in Indianapolis in 2004.

Men’s 100IM

1. Joshua Collett (Bond, QLD) 52.68
2. Se-Bom Lee (Carlile, NSW) 53.55
3. Callum Halloran-Lavelle (Caulfield, VIC) 53. 69

Breaststroke specialist Josh Collett slam dunks an exclamation mark on his breakthrough meet in Adelaide winning the 100IM in 52.68, the eighth fastest time by an Australian and completing four days with a reward of selection on the Australian team for the Budapest World SC in December.

Women’s 800m freestyle

1. Lani Pallister (8:06.71)
2. Tiana Kritzinger (Rackley, QLD) 8:19.32
3. Jacqueline Davison-McGovern (St Peters Western, QLD) 8:27.70

Defending world champion and Australian record holder at 8:04.07, Lani Pallister won her third gold of the meet, adding the 800m free in a solid 8:06.71 to ensure she gets the chance to claim some rare doubles in Budapest – claiming gold in the 200, 400 and 800 and bronze in the 100 –  a rare feat but one that provides Pallister with a chance to compete in both the 4×200 and 4x100m relays in another busy program for the 2022 Female Swimmer of the Meet in Melbourne.

Men’s 1500m freestyle

1. Matthew Galea (SOPAC, NSW) 14:40.55
2. Lachlan Walker (Griffith University, QLD) 14:48.68
3. Noah Kamprad (Rackley, QLD) 15:11.11

SOPAC’s working-class man Matt Galea rewarded for a busy week in the pool with his first gold medal in the 1500m free after his two mail-biting silvers to WA’s Alex Mander over the 400 and 800m freestyle – scoring an impressive win in a PB of 14:40.55 – the eighth fastest time by an Australian and behind the likes of Grant Hackett, Jordan Harrison, Kieren Perkins, Robbie Hurley, Mack Horton and Dan Kowalski.

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