Australia’s 50m freestyle World Champion Cameron McEvoy has kick-started his campaign to defend his crown at next year’s World Aquatic Championships in Doha (Qatar) with an effortless 22.00 seconds flat morning swim in his return to competition in Brisbane today.
The 29-year-old from Somerville House Aquatic Swim Club produced the race of his life in Fukuoka in July to reign supreme in a spectacular 50m freestyle final, winning in a time of 21.06 – the fourth fastest in history – to take out his maiden world title.
And McEvoy has his sights set firmly on defending his world title under astute coach Tim Lane when Doha hosts the 21st edition of the World Aquatics Championships from February 2-18.
Before returning home to re-set his priorities on a fourth Olympic campaign for Paris at the Australian Trials next June.
Lining up at 8.30am in the opening session of the first Queensland Preparation Meet (a Time Trial timed final meet for the December Queensland State Championships) at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre, McEvoy beat home Commonwealth Games finalist Thomas Nowakowski (Somerset Gold Coast) 22.46 with Jayden Allum (Ipswich Grammar) third in 23.33.
Australia’s 50m freestyle sprinting prowess has never been stronger.
Just hours earlier, fellow Queenslander Isaac Cooper (fourth home behind McEvoy in Fukuoka) got the Australian team’s World Cup tour in Berlin off to a flyer, winning the 50m freestyle final in 21.93, beating Michael Andrew (USA) 22.03) and Stan Pijnenburg (NED) 22.04.
Cooper was earlier joined win top of the podium by world beating backstroker Kaylee McKeown who continued her domination, setting a new World Cup (LC) record of 27.23 – just 0.15 outside her own Oceania record set when she won the world title in Fukuoka.
The Australian 4x100m freestyle relay (3:38.44) team of Leah Neale (55.85), Alex Perkins (55.27, Bronte Campbell (54.15) and Cate Campbell (53.17) were also on the winners list while Cate ( 24.11) was a close-up second to Sweden’s world record holder Sarah Sjoestroem (23.95) by 0.16 in a 50m free thriller. Torri Huske (USA) 24.66 finished third with Bronte Campbell a finger fourth in 24.67.
Cate’s time of 24.11 would have seen her finish with the bronze tag this year’s World Championships – with Sjoestroem taking the title in 23.62 from Australia’s Shayna Jack (24.10) with China’s Yufei Zhang third in 24.15
Other Australian medallists on day one in Berlin were: Jenna Strauch 2nd 200m breast, 2:23.60; Ben Armbruster 2nd 100m fly 51.69; 2nd Lani Pallister 2nd 400m free (4:02.07) and Joshua Edwards-Smith 3rd 200m back 1:59.00;