A Special Thanks to Deep Blue Media for providing the images from this meet Australia’s Tokyo Olympic rookie Isaac Cooper came into the heats of the 50m backstroke at the World Short-Course Championships with an entry time of 23.31 with eight swimmers ahead of him on the psyche sheets. But after the six heats the 18-year-old originally from Bundaberg in North Queensland had rocketed into finals contention, clocking a new Oceania and Australian record of 22.79 to qualify for the semi-finals as the second-fastest qualifier behind Poland’s Kacper Stokowski. Exhausted from a full book of individual and relay races Cooper, now training under 2008 Olympic backstroker Ashley Delaney on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Cooper surprised even himself when he not only topped the qualifiers for the final but set another Oceania, Australian, Commonwealth and World Junior Record time of 22.52. A time just 0.30 seconds outside legendary Frenchman Florent Manaudou’s 2014 world record of 22.22. All he has to do now is keep US Olympic backstroking golden boy and 100m winner here Ryan Murphy and the rest of the field at bay and he could well cause one of the big upsets of the meet. Not to be outdone Cooper later in the night led off Australia’s gold medal-winning 4x50m freestyle relay team. Murphy and Stokowski are the equal second-fastest qualifiers in 22.74, followed by Pieter Coetze (RSA) 22.86, Dylan Carter (Trinidad And Tobago) and Lorenzo Mora (ITA) both on 22.90, Marek Ulrich (GER) 23.03, while the eighth place won’t be decided until tomorrow morning with a swim off between Hunter Armstrong (USA) and Apostolos Christou (GRE). Women’s 50 Back Claire Curzan set an American record of 25.60 en-route to top spot in the 50 back semis. Splitting 12.61/12.99, the 18-year-old sliced 0.14 from the previous standard of 25.74 set by Olivia Smoliga in 2020. Maggie Mac Neil, who set the world record of 25.27 for gold in Abu Dhabi last year, booked lane five alongside Curzan in 25.64 with Mollie O’Callaghan setting an Oceania record of 25.69. Also through are 2021 silver and bronze medallists Kylie Masse (25.97) and Louise Hansson (25.99) along with Hanna Rosvall (26.01) and Julie Kepp Jensen and Maaike de Waard both clocking 26.09. Kaylee McKeown, winner of the 100 back, was locked out by one place and 0.07 in ninth. Men’s 100 IM Multi-talented American Michael Andrew will be looking to turn the clock back six years to the snow covered Canadian city of Windsor when he lines up in lane four. The 23-year-old was just 17 when he won his first World SC title in the helter-skelter 100IM launching what would be a spectacular international career, winning 12 gold medals – including five gold and a total of nine medals at the World SC Championships. Andrew clocked the fastest time in tonight’s drama-charged semifinals – stopping the clock at 51.40 ahead of fellow American Shaine Casas (51.42). But heat winner, Frenchman Maxime Grousset (silver behind Australia’s Kyle Chalmers in the 100m freestyle final) was disqualified for turning on his side from backstroke to breaststroke. It will open the door for what could well be another US 1-2 if Andrews and Casas have any say in it – something the Americans are making a habit of at this meet. The other six qualifiers are: Javier Acevedo (CAN), 51.46, Andreas Vazaios (GRE) 561.47, Thomas Ceccon (ITA) 51.60, Finlay Knox (CAN) 51.64, Bernhard Reitshammer (AUT) 51.78 and Carles Coll Marti (ESP) 51.97. Women’s 100 IM Marrit Steenbergen set a Dutch record of 57.65 to book lane four in the 100IM. The 22-year-old split 11.96/26.52/43.61 before coming home in 14.04 with the only sub-58 in the field. Louise Hansson made it two finals for Friday in second in 58.05 with Sydney Pickrem also through in 58.54. Abu Dhabi silver medallist Beryl Gastaldello progressed in fourth (58.61) while South African Rebecca Meder’s time of 58.98 is an African record. Lena Kreundl (59.04), Mary-Sophie Harvey (59.13) and Helena Gasson (59.15) all booked their spots.
World Championships, Day Three Semifinals: Isaac Cooper Sets WJR & Commonwealth 50 Back Record
