OCEANIA FEMALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: EMILY SEEBOHM
Just when it looked as though the nation of Australia could possibly end its aquatic campaign in Budapest without a single gold medal to its credit, reigning world champion Emily Seebohm came to the rescue.
After collecting a bronze in the 100 backstroke and clocking a new Commonwealth Record in the 50m back for 4th place at the 2017 World Championships Seebohm saved her best for last and crushed a monster time of 2:05.68 to win the 200m backstroke. Her time registered a new Oceanic and Australian national record.
Later this year, Seebohm secured her 25th national title of her career after taking gold in the 100m backstroke at the Australian Short Course National Championships.
While competing on day 2 of the 2017 Australian Short Course Championships, green and gold stalwart Emily Seebohm collected the 24th and 25th national titles of her storied career. Her total enabled Seebohm surpassed Matt Welsh as the most successful Australian short course swimmer.
Wrapping up her racing year, do-it-all Seebohm earned a new Australian National Record in the 200m IM (SCM) event. Finishing in 2nd place behind Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu of Hungary (2:04.37) at the Singapore Cup of this year’s World Cup Series, Seebohm charged to the wall in a new personal best of 2:05.46 for silver.
The prolific Seebohm holds Australian national records across the 50/100/200 LCM backstroke events, as well as the long course 4x100m medley relay. In the short course arena, Seebohm’s 200 IM record adds to her 50/100/200 backstroke events and 4×50 medley relay record.
Honorable Mention
Emma McKeon – McKeon made history by becoming the first woman to win 6 medals at a World Championships. Although the 23-year-old was unable to claim gold, she collected her four silver medals in the 200 freestyle, where she tied American Katie Ledecky for the second place; the 100 butterfly, and as part of Australia’s 4×100 freestyle relay and 4×100 mixed medley relay. She added two bronzes to her medal count as part of Australia’s 4×200 freestyle relay and 4×100 medley relay. McKeon also competed in the individual 100 freestyle, where she placed eighth.
Sounds like a career achievement award…
Even if she weren’t present for most of the year, doesn’t Cate Campbell deserve at least honorable mention after her 100 SCM world record? It also wasn’t that soft a record considering Sjostrom set it the week after world championships.
Nothing honorable about deciding not to represent your country and assist your team mates (esp 4×100 free) at the World Championships – yet then arrive in Rome the week after Budapest (and proceeding World Cups) to compete for money – achieving times that would have at the very least, assisted the Aussies to potentially contest for a second Gold Medal in the W4x100m Free.
At least she flagged it well ahead of time, and well before the team was selected. What WOULD have been dishonourable was if she were selected on the team and dropped out shortly before the meet for “personal reasons unspecified” rather than health/injury. Whilst I would agree that C1’s presence in the AUS W4X100 would most likely have seen the finishing order reversed (viz USA); her performances in finals at AUS Nats were reminiscent of her Rio finals swims rather than clear evidence that her capacity to handle pressure had/has been restored.
Missy is the first woman to win 6 medals at one world champ isn’t she?
First Australian
Maybe Coughlin did that before …but not sure
Yes Seebohm had a fantastic 100 back and got gold and went fast but come on first Australian woman to win six medals at world champs and 2 silver is really good Mckeon totally deserves it
Pardon, but she won the 200, not the 100 ….. and there has to be some credit for being able to repeat her 2015 title ….. and in a faster time after coming back from a severe illness. Whilst other AUS “Rio casulaties” remain in the doldrums, she has set an example of fighting back with style.
As for McKeon, an extremely creditable championships but gold trumps silver. Four of those medals were in relays, and creditable as that may be, only one of those relays was anywhere near challenging for gold (4×100). By the latter part of the meet, she was really “running on empty” and her performances tailed away. Therein lies some questions both for her and for… Read more »
Great achievement by McKeon, but record number of medals? There is an extra event on the program now (mixed relays’s)
She’s a legend also, people forget how good she is at other strokes beside backstroke!