2014 Swammy Awards: Female Oceanic Swimmer of the Year Cate Campbell

To see all of the 2014 Swammy Award winners, presented by TYR, click here.

2014 HONOREE: Cate Campbell, Australia

Cate Campbell followed up a spectacular 2013 season with a sensational 2014 capturing our 2014 Swammy Award for Female Oceanic Swimmer of the Year.

Campbell had a fantastic summer starting at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She did her part to lead the Aussies to the top of the medal standings collecting individual gold in the 100 freestyle and silver in the 50 freestyle along with gold in both the 4 x 100 freestyle and medley relays.

In the first of her two relays Campbell teamed up with sister Bronte (Campbell) along with Melanie Schlanger and Emma McKeon to set a new world record in the women’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay. They posted a time of 3:30.98 breaking the record of 3:31.72 which was set by the Netherlands in 2009.

Campbell finished the games off with one of the more impressive swims of the summer. Heading into the final 100 meters the English team anchored by Fran Halsall had a slight lead of 19 one-hundredths of a second, Campbell made sure that lead did not hold up for long. She took the first 50 meters out in a time of 24.75 and hit the wall in a split time of 51.59, which is the fastest 100 freestyle split in history.

The team’s final time was also a new Commonwealth Games record.

Campbell then went on to win four more gold at the Pan Pacific Championships. Swimming in front of a home country crowd she won gold in the 50 and 100 freestyle adding two more in 4 x 100 freestyle and medley relays.

Campbell won the 50 freestyle in a time of 23.96 which was a new Commonwealth, Australian and Championship record time.

Being part of a world record setting relay, setting a new Commonwealth record in the 50 freestyle along with bringing home three gold and a silver from the Commonwealth Games and four gold from the Pan Pacific Championships will surely earn this Queenlander many year end awards.

The first of which she was awarded earlier this week as she was named the 2014 Susie O’Neill Award winner for the top swimmer in Queensland.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

In no particular order

• After having a breakout performance at the 2013 World Championships where she won the bronze in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle Lauren Boyle of New Zealand found herself on the podium at a major international competition once again. This summer Boyle collected a gold in the 400 freestyle and a silver in the 800 freestyle at the Commonwealth Games and followed that up by winning the silver in both the 800 and 1500 freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships. Boyle finished the year ranked second in the world in the 1500 and third in the world in the 800.
• Australian Emily Seebohm brought home the same amount of hardware from both the Commonwealth Games and the Pan Pacific Championships. At both competitions Seebohm won gold in the 100 backstroke, silver in the 200 backstroke along with a gold as part of the 4 x 100 medley relay teams. Seebohm also had an impressive showing at the World Short Course Championships in Doha where she won the silver in the 50, 100 and 200 backstroke, setting new Commonwealth records in all three events.