Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2024 AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS

Day 4 of the 2024 Australian Olympic Swimming Trials will feature World Record holder Kaylee McKeown racing in the 200 back and superstar Kyle Chalmers in the men’s 100 free as highlights.

The day has five Olympic events and four Paralympic events on the books:

• Women’s 200 back (Olympic)
• Men’s 200 IM (Olympic)
• Men’s 100 free (Olympic)
• Women’s 200 fly (Olympic)
• Women’s 800 free (Olympic)
• Women’s 100 breast (Paralympic)
• Men’s 100 breast (Paralympic)
• Women’s 100 free (Paralympic)
• Men’s 100 free (Paralympic)

While McKeown is expected to be racing primarily the clock in the 200 back, Chalmers will hope to pull some young teammates, including 2nd seed Flynn Southam, with him to Paris. They are the only two (Australians) seeded under 48 seconds in the race, and they’ll need to find more (perhaps Max Giuliani or Kai Taylor?) to join them if they want to climb the steps at the Olympic Games.

Cam McEvoy has held onto the seed after winning the 50 free and qualifying for his 4th Olympics on Wednesday.

One of the more underrated races of this meet will be the 200 fly. Led by Elizabeth Dekkers, who set the Australia All Comers Record earlier this year, there are three swimmers (Abbey Connor and Brianna Throssell) who are seeded under 2:07, and a whole bunch of teenagers searching for a breakout swim.

Women’s 200 Back – Prelims

• World Record – 2:03.14, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• Australian Record – 2:03.14, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• Oceanic Record – 2:03.14, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• Commonwealth Record – 2:03.14, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• All Comers Record — 2:03.14, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• Swim Australia OQT – 2:09.74

Top 8:

1. Kaylee McKeown – 2:08.83
2. Hannah Fredericks – 2:10.19
3. Iona Anderson – 2:10.54
4. Emily Seebohm – 2:11.00
5. Jaclyn Barclay – 2:11.05
6. Minna Atherton – 2:13.34
7. Olivia Lefoe – 2:14.55
8. Abbey Webb – 2:14.85

World record holder Kaylee McKeown cruised to the top qualifying time in the 200 back prelims at 2:08.83, just over a second ahead of Hannah Fredericks (2:10.19). McKeown, 22, owns the world record at 2:03.14 from last year while the 21-year-old Fredericks has been as fast as 2:08.92 in April. 

Iona Anderson dropped almost a second off her previous-best 2:11.40 en route to the No. 3 seed in 2:10.54. The 18-year-old won silver medals in both the 50 back (27.45) and 100 back (59.12) at the 2024 World Championships in February. 

Eight months after giving birth, 31-year-old Emily Seebohm qualified 4th for the 200 back final tonight with a time of 2:11.00. The four-time Olympian boasts a lifetime best of 2:05.68 from the 2017 World Championships. 

At 17 years old — the youngest swimmer in tonight’s final — Jaclyn Barclay could also be an Olympic contender after qualifying 5th in prelims with a 2:11.05. She fired off a personal-best 2:07.03 to secure a silver medal at the 2024 World Championships in February, well under the Australian Olympic qualifying time of 2:09.74.

Men’s 200 IM – Prelims

• World Record – 1:54.00, Ryan Lochte (USA), 2011
• Australian Record – 1:55.72, Mitch Larkin (AUS), 2019
• Oceanic Record – 1:55.72, Mitch Larkin (AUS), 2019
• Commonwealth Record – 1:55.28, Duncan Scott (GBR), 2021
• All Comers Record — 1:54.98, Michael Phelps (USA), 2007
• Swim Australia OQT – 1:57.23

Top 8:

1. William Petric – 1:59.23
2. Se-Bom Lee – 2:00.95
3. David Schlicht – 2:01.31
4. Brendon Smith – 2:01.82
5. Joshua Kerr – 2:02.46
6. Bailey Lello – 2:02.57
7. Joshua Staples – 2:02.61
8. Gabriel Gorgas – 2:03.05

William Petric will be aiming for his first Olympic berth in the 200 IM after leading prelims by more than a second in 1:59.23. The 19-year-old owns a lifetime best of 1:58.05 from the Sydney Open last month, within a second of Australia’s Olympic cut (1:57.23). If he doesn’t hit the mark tonight, Petric will have another chance in Saturday’s 400 IM, where his personal best is slightly under the Australian Olympic qualifying time.

Se-Bom Lee qualified 2nd in 2:00.95, about a second off the 22-year-old’s best time of 1:59.37 from the 2022 World Championships. Arizona State standout David Schlicht was close behind in 2:01.31, just a few tenths shy of the 24-year-old’s personal-best 2:00.96 from 2022.

Keep an eye on Brendon Smith in the final tonight. The 23-year-old qualified 4th in 2:01.82, but he has been as fast as 1:58.57 at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Men’s 100 Free – Prelims

• World Record – 46.80, Pan Zhanle (CHN), 2024
• Australian Record – 47.04, Cam McEvoy (AUS), 2016
• Oceanic Record – 47.04, Cam McEvoy (AUS), 2016
• Commonwealth Record – 47.04, Cam McEvoy (AUS), 2016
• All Comers Record — 47.04, Cam McEvoy (AUS), 2016
• Swim Australia OQT – 48.06

Top 8:

1. Kyle Chalmers – 48.39
2. William Yang – 48.50
3. Flynn Southam – 48.64
4. Jamie Jack – 48.69
5. Zac Incerti – 48.78
6. Kai Taylor – 48.81
7. Jack Cartwright – 48.83
8. Max Giuliani – 48.90

Rio 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers paced the 100 free prelims in 48.39, within a second of his season-best 47.63 from April that ranks 5th in the world this season.

William Yang reached the wall just a tenth of a second behind Chalmers in 48.50, not far off his season-best 48.20 that ranks 28th in the world this season. He’s within striking distance of the Australian Olympic qualifying time in the event (48.06).

Flynn Southam (48.64) eked past Jamie Jack (48.69) for the third qualifying spot in tonight’s final. Southam, 19, has been under 48 seconds before (47.77) at last year’s Australian Trials while the 21-year-old Jack shaved .07 seconds off his previous-best 48.76 from April.

Zac Incerti (48.78), Kai Taylor (48.81), Jack Cartwright (48.83) and Max Giuliani (48.90) rounded out the top eight qualifiers in the heats. Cody Simpson didn’t make the A-final with a time of 49.04 in prelims as it took a sub-49 second effort this morning to finish among the eight fastest swimmers.

Australian record holder Cam McEvoy scratched out of the 100 free after previously hinting that he might give the 4×100 free relay a shot this summer.

Women’s 200 Fly – Prelims

• World Record – 2:01.81, Liu Zige (CHN), 2009
• Australian Record – 2:03.41, Jessicah Schipper (AUS), 2009
• Oceanic Record – 2:03.41, Jessicah Schipper (AUS), 2009
• Commonwealth Record – 2:03.41, Jessicah Schipper (AUS), 2009
• All Comers Record: 2:05.20 — Elizabeth Dekkers (AUS), 2024
• Swim Australia OQT – 2:07.72

Top 8:

1. Abbey Connor – 2:06.43
2. Elizabeth Dekkers – 2:07.71
3. Bella Grant – 2:07.98
4. Brittany Castelluzzo – 2:10.19
5. Elloise Doolan – 2:11.87
6. Jessica Cole – 2:12.37
7. Poppy Stephen – 2:12.49
8. Rafaela Kopellou – 2:12.79

Abbey Connor threw down a statement swim in the 200 fly prelims with a personal-best 2:06.43 to snag the top seed ahead of All Comers record holder Elizabeth Dekkers (2:07.71).

Connor, 19, dropped just over a tenth off her previous-best 2:06.59 from March. Dekkers, 20, owns the All Comers record at 2:05.20 from April.

Connor now ranks 5th in the world this season behind Zhang Yufei (2:05.57), Dekkers (2:05.20), Regan Smith (2:04.80), and Summer McIntosh (2:04.33).

Bella Grant also clocked a huge prelims swim with the third-fastest time in prelims at 2:07.98, knocking almost half a second off her previous-best 2:08.42 from April. The 19-year-old is now just a couple tenths shy of the Australian Olympic qualifying mark of 2:07.72.

There’s a lot of blossoming Australian talent in this event as Connor and Grant will be joined by four more teenagers in tonight’s final: 17-year-old Elloise Doolan (2:11.87), 17-year-old Jessica Cole (2:12.37), 18-year-old Poppy Stephen (2:12.49), and 16-year-old Rafaela Kopellou (2:12.79). Kopellou, the youngest of the bunch, dropped a couple hundredths off her previous-best 2:12.81 from April to qualify 8th in the heats.

Women’s 800 Free – Prelims (Slower Heats)

• World Record – 8:04.79, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2016
• Australian Record – 8:13.59, Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2023
• Oceanic Record – 8:13.59, Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2023
• Commonwealth Record – 8:13.59, Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2023
• All Comers Record — 8:11.35, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2014
• Swim Australia OQT – 8:22.20

Top 8:

1. Taryn Roberts – 8:50.41
2. Sienna Deurloo – 8:58.27
3. Jacinta Essam – 8:58.44
4. Mackenzie Hunter – 8:59.82
5. Kirralee Shepherd – 9:02.53
6. Chelsea Jones – 9:02.66
7. Dominique Melbourn – 9:03.73
8. Rebecca Rimoldi – 9:07.87

None of the swimmers in the slower heats of the women’s 800 free got particularly close to the Australian Olympic qualifying time of 8:22.20. The quartet of Taryn Roberts (8:50.41), Sienna Deurloo (8:58.27), Jacinta Essam (8:58.44), and Mackenzie Hunter (8:59.82) were the only ones under the nine-minute barrier. Australian record holder Ariarne Titmus and Lani Pallister are expected to lead the way tonight.

Paralympic Highlights:

In the women’s 100 breaststroke, Keira Stephens led the way with a time of 1:16.94 worth 785 points. The 21-year-old SB9 swimmer won bronze in the event at the Tokyo Paralympics a few years ago.

The men’s 100 breast saw Jake Michel qualify 1st by a wide margin with a time of 1:04.75, just about a tenth shy of his seed time (1:04.62). The SB14 swimmer took silver in the event at the Tokyo Paralympics a few years ago.

Alexa Leary paced the women’s 100 free prelims in 1:00.38, about a second off her seed time of 59.37. The 22-year-old S9 swimmer won the 2023 world title in this event last year in Manchester.

Rowan Crothers shined in the men’s 100 free, earning the most points with his time of 52.29. The two-time Paralympic champion claimed silver in the 100 free S10 in Tokyo with a time of 51.37.