Queensland Champs, Finals, Day 3: Shayna Jack and Sam Short Win The Battle Of The World Champions As Molly O Heads For The Massage Table
Winning a Queensland Swimming Championship can sometimes be tougher than winning a World Title -just ask Elijah Winnington and Mollie O’Callaghan, who learnt first first-hand just how tough it can be on a tight night’s racing at the 2023 Hancock Prospecting Queensland Championships.
The men’s 400m freestyle final was always going to go right down to the wire between Australia’s two world champions, 2023 champion from Fukuoka Sam Short (Rackley Swim Team) and 2022 World champion from Budapest, Winnington.
IN A WORLD OF THEIR OWN: World champions Sam Short and Elijah Winnington after their duel in the pool in Brisbane. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photography
And the boys didn’t disappoint, Short hanging on in a frantic finish, out-touching Winnington by just 0.23 – 3:44.20 (1:49.50) to 3:44.43 (1:50.82) with Malaysia’s Hoe Yean Khiew third home in 3:51.15.
Short, catching his breath after the narrow victory, quipped that “sometimes it’s tougher to win a Queensland title than it is to win the World championship.”
And then there’s O’Callaghan, who won the 200m freestyle and then finished second to fellow world champion Kaylee McKeown in the 100m backstroke last night, backing up to contest the B final of the 100m butterfly tonight before finishing third behind world and Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus in the 400m freestyle.
All that before the reigning 100m freestyle world champion had to drag herself back to the blocks for her blue ribband event – and waiting for her?
A trio of World and Olympic gold medallists Cate Campbell (Chandler), Shayna Jack (St Peters Western) who had also swum the 100m butterfly earlier and Meg Harris (Rackley Swim Team).
A tough ask – even for a world champion with a tired O’Callaghan finishing fourth – with just 0.77 separating the top four – Jack holding on in a world class time of 52.76 – and in her own world of hurt in a time which would have placed her fourth in this year’s world championship final in Fukuoka.
Harris (53.03), was second home with 31-year-old Campbell proudly on the podium in third, clocking 53.23 – nudging Mollie O by a mere 0.04.
Jack saying: “I have really sore legs and I just wanted to get out and see what I had left after the 100m butterfly earlier tonight.
“We are all at different stages (of our preparations) and I just wanted to give myself the best chance to get my hand on the wall first and I’m so proud of that.
PRIMARY BAND MEMBERS: Cate Campbell and Shayna Jack, former training partners and key members of Australia’s band of the sprint swimming sisterhood. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photography
“I’m like so many of the swimmers at these championships that just want to get out there and have a crack, I’m really proud of myself and everyone on the St Peters Western Team as we are all giving it a great shot, it’s all great experience.
Campbell chiming in with “That race tonight is as equal to a World Championship final, to race those girls it’s like racing an international final. To have that in your own back yard and be able to race that field at every local competition isn’t something that many countries get so I’m really making the most of it.
“We are missing the reigning Olympic champion (Emma McKeon with an arm injury), but we’ve got the reigning World Champion, we’ve got members of the world record breaking 4 x 100 freestyle relay team.
“Tonight, really was a stacked field so to sneak onto the podium it’s always nice at this age.”
And spare a thought for Mollie O who was last seen heading to the massage table….and then home for a good night’s sleep….she’s got another busy day’s racing coming up tomorrow with the 200m backstroke, the 50m freestyle and just for good measure… the 200m butterfly.
No rest at the Queensland Championships….even for world champions….!
NO REST EVEN FOR THE BEST IN THE WORLD: Kaylee McKeown and Molly O’Callaghan. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photography.
Great coverage and amazing swims!