Sam Short Rips 3:42.46 For 10th-Fastest 400 Freestyle In History At Aussie Champs; Mollie O’Callaghan Dazzles In Tight Duel With Shayna Jack
Australia’s Commonwealth Games 1500m freestyle gold medallist Sam Short has gate-crashed his way into the world all-time top 10 times over 400m freestyle on the Gold Coast tonight, clocking the fastest time in the world this year with a slashing 3:42.46 – two seconds faster than he has ever swum.
The 19-year-old from the Rackley Swim Team in Brisbane shook the life out of the ranking with his all-the-way victory over reigning world champion Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) 3:46.39 with his Rackley team mate and Olympic relay bronze medallist Tommy Neill third in 3:49.28.
TOP TEN: Sam Short now in the World Top 10. Photo Courtesy: Wade’s Photos.
Short, so unlucky to miss the 2020 Olympic team to Tokyo, is making every post a winner as he targets Paris in 2024 – surprising even himself with the time on the opening night of the 2023 Australian Championships at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.
“I tried to take it out with Elijah and Tommy and my coach Damien Jones has been putting me through the motions at training with all his aerobic sessions so I said to myself I’m just going to go for it at the 100m turn, “ said Short.
“And I really pushed that second and third 100m and put everything I had left into the last two laps and it ended up being a two second pb – I was not expecting that.”
LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION: Sam Short in full cry at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre. Photo Courtesy: Wade’s Photos.
has replaced Australia’s two-time Olympic 1500m champion and 2005 World champion and an Olympic silver medallist in 2004, over 400m, Grant Hackett as the 10th fastest of all-time and the fourth fastest Australian who now have five of the fastest 11 performers in history.
Event 9 Men 14 & Over 400 LC Metre Freestyle
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World: W 3:40.07 26/07/2009Paul Biedermann, GER
Commonwealth: C 3:40.08 30/07/2002Ian Thorpe, AUS
Australian: R 3:40.08 30/07/2002Ian Thorpe, SLC Aquadot
All Comers: A 3:40.54 8/03/2002 Ian Thorpe, SLC Aquadot
TITLEHOLDERS: 3:43.10 18/05/2022Elijah Winnington, STPET
FINA QT: 3:46.47
Meet Qualifying: 4:04.45
Name Age Team Prelims Finals
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=== A Final ===
1 SHORT, SAMUEL 19 RACKL 3:48.32 3:42.46
r:+0.63 26.05 53.99 (27.94)
1:22.01 (28.02) 1:50.14 (28.13)
2:18.29 (28.15) 2:46.44 (28.15)
3:14.78 (28.34) 3:42.46 (27.68)
2 WINNINGTON, ELIJAH 22 STPET 3:49.82 3:46.39
r:+0.69 25.83 54.05 (28.22)
1:22.37 (28.32) 1:51.00 (28.63)
2:19.84 (28.84) 2:49.16 (29.32)
3:18.15 (28.99) 3:46.39 (28.24)
3 NEILL, THOMAS 20 RACKL 3:52.88 3:49.28
r:+0.64 26.57 54.69 (28.12)
1:23.22 (28.53) 1:51.96 (28.74)
2:21.29 (29.33) 2:50.76 (29.47)
3:20.65 (29.89) 3:49.28 (28.63)
ALL-TIME WORLD TOP 10 MEN’S 400M FREESTYLERS
3:40.07 Paul Biedermann (GER)
3:40.08 Ian Thorpe (AUS)
3:40.14 Sun Yang (CHN)
3:41.11 Ous Mellouli (TUN)
3:41.22 Elijah Winnington (AUS)
3:41.35 Zang Lin (CHN)
3:41.53 Tae Hwan Park (KOR)
3:41.55 Mack Horton (AUS)
3:41.60 Lukas Martens (GER)
3:42.46 Sam Short (AUS)
Meanwhile, World and Commonwealth champion Mollie O’Callaghan has rocketed to the top of the 100m freestyle world rankings with a final stroke victory in 52.63 on night one of the Australian Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast tonight.
ST PETERS SISTERS IN ARMS: Mollie O’Callaghan an d Shayna Jack. Photo Courtesy: Wade’s Photos
The 19-year-old timed her finish to perfection to out-touch St Peters Western training partner Shayna Jack who clocked the second fastest time in the world this year – just 0.01 behind , clocking 52.64, in a classic finish.
Olympic champion, Emma McKeon (Griffith University, QLD) was third home in 53.22 followed by Meg Harris (Marion, SA) 53.46 with Madi Wilson (Marion, SA) and Cate Campbell dead-heating for fifth in 53.78.
And in the final event of the night, it was Olympic silver medallist Ariarne Titmus who kick-started her Nationals campaign with a solid defence of her 800m freestyle title, clocking 8:20.19 holding off World Short Course champion Lani Pallister (Griffith University, QLD) 8:24.72 with Olympic 1500m finalist Madeleine Gough (Carlile, NSW) third in 8.26.08.
Event 8 Women 13 & Over 100 LC Metre Freestyle
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World: W 51.71 23/07/2017Sarah Sjostrom, SWE
Commonwealth: C 51.96 31/07/2021Emma McKeon, AUS
Australian: R 51.96 31/07/2021Emma McKeon, GUSC
All Comers: A 52.06 2/07/2016 Cate Campbell, Commercial
TITLEHOLDERS: 52.49 18/05/2022Mollie O'Callaghan, STPET
FINA QT: 53.61
Meet Qualifying: 57.57
Name Age Team Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== A Final ===
1 O'CALLAGHAN, MOLLIE 19 STPET 53.52 52.63
r:+0.73 25.85 52.63 (26.78)
2 JACK, SHAYNA 24 STPET 53.72 52.64
r:+0.72 25.31 52.64 (27.33)
3 MCKEON, EMMA 28 GUSC 53.81 53.22
r:+0.72 25.56 53.22 (27.66)
4 HARRIS, MEG 21 MARI 53.91 53.46
r:+0.66 26.02 53.46 (27.44)
5 WILSON, MADISON 28 MARI 54.19 53.78
r:+0.71 26.33 53.78 (27.45)
5 CAMPBELL, CATE 30 RACKL 54.17 53.78
r:+0.78 25.45 53.78 (28.33)
7 THROSSELL, BRIANNA 27 STPET 55.02 54.49
r:+0.73 26.52 54.49 (27.97)
8 MCKEOWN, KAYLEE 21 GUSC 55.15 54.54
r:+0.67 26.70 54.54 (27.84)
9 JANSEN, MILLA 16 BOND 54.91 54.97
r:+0.68 26.63 54.97 (28.34)
10 PERKINS, ALEXANDRIA 22 USCS 55.16 55.44
r:+0.70 26.67 55.44 (28.77)
In other highlights, triple Olympic backstroke gold medallist Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) opened up her campaign in fine style, setting a new Australian All-Comers record in the 200m individual medley with a time of 2:08.16 ahead of fellow Commonwealth Games representative Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) in a pb of 2:09.32.
Another Birmingham representative, Ella Ramsay (Chandler, QLD) finished with the bronze in 2;12.39.
Only Australian record holder and 2008 Olympic champion Stephanie Rice (2:07.03) and Alicia Coutts (2:08.15) have ben faster.
And for McKeown the time maintained her place on the 2023 world rankings, second behind Canadian wunderkind and world junior record holder Summer McIntosh (2:06.89) with Forrester moving up the rankings to be fourth all-time Australian and fifth in the world this year.
The men’s 100m breaststroke saw Olympic champion over 200m breaststroke, Zac Stubblety-Cook power home over the final 25 metres to defend his title on 1:00.07 ahead of rising star Joshua Yong (UWA West Coast, WA) 1:00.57 with former world record holder over 200m breaststroke, Matthew Wilson (SOPAC, NSW) third in 1:00.68.
It was Wilson who was out quickest over the first 50m in 28.22 but it was Stubblety-Cook, who has been training at altitude at Flagstaff in Arizona, who has the best back end in the business, unstoppable over the final stages.
The men’s 50m butterfly saw Bond 20-year-old Ben Armbruster turn disappointment into triumph – disqualified in the heats and re-instated into the final, claiming the win in a new Australian All-Comers record of 23.05.
While in the time was 0.06 quicker than legendary Australian butterflyer, Olympic bronze medallist and former world champion, Geoff Huegill’s 2009 time of 23.11 – set in the supersuit era.
There was a fist pump from Armbruster, coached by Olympic gold medal coach Chris Mooney, after touching the wall and after a dramatic day – finishing ahead of two of Australian swimming’s biggest names in Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) 23.35 and Cameron McEvoy (Somerville House, QLD) 23.65.
The time also ranks Armbruster second fastest Australian of all time behind Commonwealth and Australian record holder, 2012 Olympian Matt Targett’s 2009 super suit time of 22.73.
The Multi Class events, which are the Trials for this year’s World Championships in Manchester, saw some great swimming in the morning preliminaries as well as the finals – with times swum in in the morning also counting for selection.
Timothy Hodge. Photo Courtesy: Wade’s Photos.
The stars of the day included Tokyo silver and bronze medallist and recent world record setter Timothy Hodge (ACU Blacktown), two-time Paralympic champion over the 400m Lakeisha Patterson (USC Spartans, QLD), rookie Poppy Wilson (Yeronga Park, QLD), Jack Ireland (University of Queensland, QLD) and Katja Dedekind (Yeronga Park, QLD) who qualified in the 400m freestyle in the morning’s heats.
Hodge won the 400m freestyle in 4:15.48 in a battle of the S9s from two-time Paralympic gold medallist Brenden Hall (USC Spartans, QLD) 4:18.16 with Harrison Vg (University of Queensland, QLD) 4:24.59.
While Patterson asserted her authority as she heads towards another World Championship campaign – taking the 400m crown in 4:44.31 from Wilson 4:49.25.
Ireland, an S14, won the 200m freestyle in 1:56.40 – but clocked a faster time 1:55.19 in the heats.
2023 Australian Swimming Championships, Day One, FINALS:
MEN
400m freestyle
- Sam Short (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 3:42.46
- Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) 3:46.39
- Tommy Neill (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 3:49.28
Elijah Winnington. Photo Courtesy: Wade’s Photos.
100m breaststroke
- Zac Stubblety-Cook (Chandler, QLD) 1:00.07
- Joshua Yong (UWA West Coast, WA) 1:00.57
- Matthew Wilson (SOPAC, NSW) 1:00.68
Zac Stubblety-Cook. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
50m butterfly
- Ben Armbruster (Bond, QLD) 23.05 Aust All-Comers Rec
- Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) 23.35
- Cameron McEvoy (Somerville 23.65
Ben Armbruster. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
200m backstroke
- Bradley Woodward (Mingara Aquatic, NSW) 1:57.42
- Josh Edwards-Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 1:57.63
- Ty Hartwell (Chandler, QLD) 1:57.84
400m freestyle Multi Class
- Timothy Hodge S9 (ACU Blacktown, NSW) 4:15.48
- Brenden Hall S9 (USC Spartans, QLD) 4:18.16
- Harrison Vig S9 (University of Queensland, QLD) 4:24.59
200m freestyle Multi Class:
- Jack Ireland S14 (University of Queensland, QLD) 1:56.40
- Liam Schluter S14 (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:56.95
- Darren Sisman S14 (Engadine, NSW) 1:59.31
50m butterfly Multi Class
- Nicholas Layton (Propulsion, VIC) 24.92
- Dylan Logan (Melbourne, VIC) 26.24
- Declan Budd (Knox Pymble, NSW) 27.88
WOMEN
100m freestyle
- Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 52.63
- Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) 52.64
- Emma McKeon (Griffith University, QLD) 53.22
Mollie O’Callaghan. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
800m freestyle
- Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD) 8:20.19
- Lani Pallister (Griffith University, QLD) 8:24.72
- Madeleine Gough (Carlile, NSW) 8:26.08
Ariarne Titmus and Lani Pallister. Photo Courtesy: Wade’s Photos.
200m individual medley
- Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 2:08.16 Aust All-Com Rec
- Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:09.32
- Ella Ramsay (Chandler, QLD) 2:12.39
Kaylee McKeown and Jenna Forrester Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
50m breaststroke
- Jenna Strauch (Miami, QLD) 31.16
- Mia O’Leary (Bond, QLD) 31.29
- Talara-Jade Dixon (St Hilda’s WA) 31.53
Jenna Strauch. Photo Courtesy: Wade’s Photos.
400m freestyle Multi Class
- Lakeisha Patterson S9 (USC Spartans, QLD) 4:44.31
- Poppy Wilson S10 (Yeronga Park, QLD)4:49.
- Chloe Osborn S7 (ACU Blacktown, NSWQ) 5:29.15
Lakeisha Patterson. Photo Courtesy: Wade’s Photos.
200m freestyle Multi Class
- Madeleine McTernan (All Saints, QLD) 2:13.01
- Ruby Storm (St Andrews, QLD) 2:14.85
- Jade Lucy (SLC Aquadot, NSW) 2:17.73
50m butterfly Multi Class
- Paige Leonhardt S14 (USC Spartans, QLD) 29.92
- Taylor Corry S14 (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins, NSW) 30.50
- Montana Atkinson S14 (Helensvale, QLD) 31.39