Aussie 100 Freestyle King Kyle Chalmers Back In Fast Lane In 47.69

Aussie 100 Freestyle King Kyle Chalmers Back In Fast Lane In 47.69 At Sydney Open

It took Australian sprint king Kyle Chalmers just 47.69 seconds last night to send a clear message that he’s both physically and mentally ready to take on the world in Fukuoka this year.

The 24-year-old set himself a target to swim under 48 seconds at the 2023 Sydney Open UNISPORT Nationals and he achieved his goal with flying colours.

“I’ve been 48.00 seconds twice this year and tonight I set myself a target to go under but I didn’t t think I’d dip that far under, that’s a massive win for me,” said an elated Chalmers, who heads to Darwin tomorrow for a pre-Australian Trials camp under coach Peter Bishop. (The Trials will be swum in Melbourne from June 13-18)

“That’s probably the fastest I’ve swum ‘in season’ in a very long time. Normally at this time of the year I don’t race and I’m in a massive hole so it’s nice to be racing and it’s nice to be racing fast, (as you can tell) I’m very happy with that.

“It’s obviously a good starting point moving into Trials. I’ve got my last training block and then taper a little going into Trials and then swim World’s where I know I’m going to have to swim very fast.

“I’ve been able to do the work injury free for the first time in three years and physically I’ve been in the best spot I’ve been in for a very long time and mentally I’m in a really, really good spot.

“I haven’t been happier since 2016 when I went to my first Olympics so for me, I’m enjoying my sport and I’m enjoying racing the 100m freestyle.”

 

Chalmers (Marion, SA) and fellow Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown (Griffth University, QLD) took it in turns  to light up the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

First up it was McKeown who followed her opening night Australian All-Comers record in the 200IM with the second fastest time in the world this year in the 400IM – clocking a personal best time of 4:31.68 – just over a second outside Stephanie Rice’s 2008 Australian record.

Only Canada’s teenage super star Summer McIntosh has been faster this year and that was her world record swim of 4:25.87.

And then it was sprint king Kyle who turned on the afterburners – out in 22.97 and back in 24.72 to beat fellow Commonwealth Games relay gold medallist Flynn Southam (Bond University, QLD) 48.98, New Zealand’s Cameron Gray (Coast, NZ) 49.45, Germany’s Josha Salchow 49.63 and Chalmers training partner Matthew Temple (Marion, SA) 49.78.

Chalmers now sits behind rankings leaders China’s Zhanle Pan (47.22) and Romania’s world record holder David Popovici (47.61) as the World Championships await.

And then it was back over to McKeown who was back in the water showing her wares off again, this time in her specialist 100m backstroke, clocking a slick 58.33 – a time only herself (the world rankings leader on 57.84) and US rival Regan Smith (57.90) have bettered.

Meanwhile, rising New Zealand teenager Erika Fairweather continued to re-enforce her enormous potential, adding the 200m freestyle with a powerful back end to take the win in 1.55.80 (57.24) – a time just outside her best of 1:55.44 – which ranks her sixth in the world.

Fairweather edged in front on the final turn to swim away with the win from early leader Madison Wilson (Marion, SA) 1:56.71 with Lani Pallister (Griffith University, QLD) 1:57.35 third.

The men’s 200m butterfly saw Commonwealth Games representative Bowen Gough (Griffith University, QLD) hold on, getting to the wall in 1:57.94 ahead of the fast finishing William Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 1:59.23 and Harrison Turner (Chandler, QLD) 1:59.48.

SOPAC’s Matthew Galea scored an impressive 800m freestyle win in 8:02.14 from Thomas Hauck (All Saints, QLD) 8:05.86 and Zac Reid (Neptune, NZ) 8:11.56.

The women’s 1500m freestyle went to Carlile’s Tokyo Olympian Madeleine Gough, representing Bond University, QLD in 16:12.69 from her fellow Australian open water representative for this year’s World Championships, Yeronga Park’s Chelsea Gubecka (Uni of QLD) 16:34.72 with Tayla Martin (Carlile, NSW) third in 17:03.47.

While in Multi-Class action it was Blacktown’s world record breaking Paralympian Timothy Hodge (Western Sydney University, NSW) who was amongst the winners, taking out the men’s 400m freestyle in 4:18:56.

Hodge was joined by Katja Dedekind (Griffith University, QLD) who won the women’s 50 and 400m freestyle double in 27.71 and 4:38.27 respectively; Keira Stephens (Southport, QLD) the women’s 100m breaststroke in 1:16.83; Jake Michel (Carina Leagues, CJs) the men’s 100m breaststroke in 1:06.02 and Tom Gallagher (Somerset, QLD) the men’s 50m freestyle in 23.75.

And Bond’s Ben Armbruster (25.49) cracked the club and University Championship double in the men’s 50m backstroke from Bradley Woodward (Western Sydney University, NSW) 25.61 and New Zealand visitor Andrew Jeffcoat (Club 37, NZ) 25.73.

2023 Sydney Open and UNISPORT Nationals, Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, Day 2, FINALS:

 WOMEN

 200m freestyle

1. Erika Fairweather (Neptune, NZ) 1:55.80
2. Madison Wilson (Marion, SA) 1:56.71
3. Lani Pallister (Griffith University, QLD) 1:57.35

100m backstroke

1. Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 58.33
2. Ingelbord Loeyning (Norway) 1:00.70
3. Layla Day (Bond University) 1:01.56

100m breaststroke

1. Talara-Jade Dixon (Southport, QLD) 1:08.79
2. Mikayla Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 1:08.93
3. Isabella Johnson (Cruiz, QLD) 1:10.25

50m butterfly

1. Helena Gasson (New Zealand) 26.63
2. Meg Harris (Marion, SA) 26.66
3. Abigail Schoorl (Bond Uni, QLD) 26.84

 400m individual medley

1. Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 4:31.68
2. Ella Ramsay (Chandler, QLD) 4:49.40
3. Kayla Hardy (University of QLD) 4:49.46

MULTI CLASS

50m freestyle

1. Katja Dedekind (Griffith University, QLD) 27.71
2. Keira Stephens (Southport, QLD) 28.67
3. Jasmine Greenwood (Uni Canberra, ACT) 28.71

400m freestyle

1. Katja Dedekind (Griffith University, QLD) 4:38.27
2. Lakeisha Patterson (University of Qld) 4:46.75
3. Poppy Wilson (Yeronga Park, QLD) 4:51.42

100m breaststroke

1. Keira Stephens (Southport, QLD) 1:16.83
2. Paige Leonhardt (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:18.58
3. Jenna Jones (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:28.23

MEN   

100m freestyle

1. Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) 47.69
2. Flynn Southam (Bond University, QLD) 48.98
3. Cameron Gray (New Zealand) 49.45

50m backstroke

1. Ben Armbruster (Bond University, QLD) 25.49 *
2. Bradley Woodward (Western Sydney University, NSW) 25.61
3. Andrew Jeffcoat (Club 37, NZ) 25.73

50m breaststroke

1. Samuel Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 27.63
2. Joshua Collett (Bond University, QLD) 28.21
3. Joshua Gilbert (C37, NZ) 28.34

200m butterfly

1. Bowen Gough (Griffith University, QLD) 1:57.94
2. William Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 1:59.23
3. Harrison Turner (Chandler, QLD) 1:59.48

 

MULTI CLASS

50m freestyle

1. Tom Gallagher (Somerset, QLD) 23.75
2. Jack Ireland (Uni QLD Swim Club) 24.58
3. Nicholas Layton (Monash Uni, VIC) 23.80

400M Freestyle

1. Timothy Hodge (Western Sydney Uni) 4:18.56
2. Brenden Hall (Australian Catholic Uni) 4:21.24
3. Harrison Vig (Uni QLD) 4:25.90

100m breaststroke

1. Jake Michel (Carina Leagues CJs, QLD) 1:06.02
2. Col Pearse (Nunawading, VIC) 1:16.23
3. Nicholas Toia (Western Sydney Uni) 1:30.10