SWIMMING AUSTRALIA OLYMPIC TRIALS

• Saturday, June 12th – Thursday, June 17th
• South Australia Aquatic & Leisure Centre, Adelaide, Australia
• Sole Olympic-Qualifying Opportunity
• 2021 Swimming Australia Olympic Nomination Criteria
• Meet Site
• Final Start List
• Live results
• Qualifying Criteria
• Day 1 Finals Heat Sheets
• Day 1 Finals Live Stream (Amazon Prime required)

It’s the first day of competition in Adelaide as the Australians will be selecting their Olympic and Paralympic team for Tokyo. SwimSwam’s devoted Australian Trials channel has all the information on the meet that you need. Subscribers of Amazon Prime can watch the event live.

Tonight’s session will feature the women’s 100 butterfly, men’s 400 IM, women’s 400 free (MC), men’s 400 free (MC), men’s 100 breast, women’s 400 IM, women’s 200 free (MC), men’s 200 free (MC), and the men’s 400 free.

The qualifying criteria for Tokyo is not quite as black and white as other countries, but swimmers will need to finish in the top two tonight while swimming under the Australian Olympic Qualifying Time (equal to 8th place at the 2019 World Championships) to earn an individual spot. For relay consideration, swimmers need to swim in the A-final of the respective event.

This morning’s prelims session saw only four swimmers under the OQT. Emma McKeon led the way by posting a 56.82 in the 100 butterfly, nearly two seconds ahead of the second-best swimmer, Brianna Throssel. The men’s 400 free is shaping up to be a great race tonight as Elijah Winnington, Thomas Neil, and Jack McLoughlin were all under the OQT. Mack Horton, the defending Olympic champion in the 400 free, is seeded fourth. With such few swimmers under qualifying times this morning, there will be pressure on swimmers tonight to swim under the qualifying times.

The men’s 100 breaststroke will be another race to watch as five swimmers are separated by .80 seconds. Zac Stubblety-Cook is the top seed at 1:00.05 and the men will need to hit 59.21 to qualify for Tokyo.

Keep refreshing this page for SwimSwam’s own live, event-by-event updates of all the action from the meet.

Women 100 Butterfly Finals

• World Record: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 55.48 (2016)
• Australian Record: Emma McKeon – 56.18 (2017)
• Commonwealth Record: Maggie MacNeil – 55.83 (2019)
• World Junior Record: Claire Curzan (USA) – 56.20 (2021)
• 2016 Olympic Champion: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 55.48
• Olympic Qualifying Time: 57.10

Podium:

1. Emma McKeon – 55.93
2. Brianna Throssel – 57.11
3. Alexandria Perkins – 58.61

McKeon led from the start, turning at the 50 in 25.96, under world record pace with nearly a body-length lead. McKeon would be ahead of world record pace until about 10 meters left in the race and would touch in 55.93 for a new Australian record and the second fastest time in the world this year. Taking second was Brianna Throssel in 57.11, just missing the OQT by .01 seconds and off her best of 57.02 from 2019. Alexandria Perkins was third in 58.61, dropping from her prelims swim of 58.83.

RANKING SEARCH RESULTS

Men 400 IM Finals

• World Record: Michael Phelps – 4:03.84 (2008)
• Australian Record: Thomas Fraser-Holmes – 4:10.14 (2013)
• Commonwealth Record: Max Litchfield (GBR) – 4:09.62 (2017)
• World Junior Record: Ilya Borodin (RUS) – 4:10.02 (2021)
• 2016 Olympic Champion: Kosuke Hagino (JAP) – 4:06.05
• Olympic Qualifying Time: 4:15.24

Podium:

1. Brendon Smith – 4:10.04
2. Se-Bom Lee – 4:14.16
3. Kieren Pollard – 4:15.68

The Australians haven’t had an Olympic medalist in this event since 1984. Brendon Smith, the top qualifier from the morning, led after the butterfly leg in 56.89 followed by Se-Bom Lee. Smith would continue to lead at 2:00.59 at the halfway point followed closely by Lee at 2:01.39. Both swimmers would be ahead of the OQT after breaststroke. The question heading into the freestyle leg would be if Lee could hold on to finish under the qualifying time. The answer would be yes as Smith would win with the second Australian record of the night in 4:10.04 followed by Lee in 4:14.16.

The Australians will have two swimmers in Tokyo in the 400 IM with a chance to end their 37 year medal drought. Smith’s time moves him up to fourth in the world this year. Lee dropped nearly five seconds from his previous best of 4:19.10 from two years ago.

RANKING SEARCH RESULTS

Women 12&O 400 Free MC S6-s13 Prelims

Podium (by points):

1. Monique Murphy – 4:43.28
2. Natalie Shaw – 4:45.02
3. Lakeisha Patterson – 4:42.25

The qualification for the Paralympic events is based on points and not necessarily on times. Swimmers earn points based on how close they are to the world record in their respective qualification. The swimmers need to be under the qualification time and the heat features swimmers from different classifications with individual qualification lines for each lane.

Lakeisha Patterson 4:42.25 and Ellie Cole 4:47.30 were under the qualification time in the S9 classification. Patterson won the 400 free in the S8 classification at the 2016 Rio Paralympic games with a world record time of 4:40.33. Cole has represented Australia at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Paralympics.

Men 12&O 400 Free MC S6-s13 Prelims

Podium (by points):

1. Brendan Hall – 932
2. Alex Tuckfield – 929
3. Harrison Vig – 899

The Australians had four swimmers under qualifying times. Tom Gallagher (S10) was fighting the qualifying line through the last 10 meters and touched under the qualifying time at 4:10.62. In the S9 classification, Hall (4:15.89), Tuckfield (4:16.13), and Vig (4:19.01) all swam faster than the qualification time. Swimmers are not officially qualified as there are a maximum of 3 swimmers per individual event and a maximum of 17 swimmers overall.

Men 100 Breaststroke Finals

• World Record: Adam Peaty (GBR) – 56.88 (2019)
• Australian Record: Brenton Rickard – 58.58 (2009)
• Commonwealth Record: Adam Peaty (GBR) – 56.88 (2019)
• World Junior Record: Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) – 59.01 (2017)
• 2016 Olympic Champion: Adam Peaty (GBR) – 57.13
• Olympic Qualifying Time: 59.21

Podium:

1. Zac Stubblety-Cook – 59.69
2. Daniel Cave – 59.99
3. Jake Packard – 1:00.12

Matthew Wilson was quick off the blocks and staked the early lead. Wilson hit the 50 in 27.65 followed by Packard (27.83) and Cave (27.96). Heading into the final 25 meters, there was a pack of four swimmers battling to the finish. Stubblety-Cook, who was fifth at the 50 mark, would finish first in 59.69. Cave took second in 59.99 and Packard was third in 1:00.12.

No swimmer was under the OQT meaning the Australians will not have a swimmer in this event in Tokyo. Stubblety-Cook, who is more of a 200 breaststroke swimmer, did set a new best time, dropping .03 from earlier this year.

Women 400 IM Finals

• World Record: Katinka Hosszu – 4:26.36 (2016)
• Australian Record: Stephanie Rice – 4:29.45 (2009)
• Commonwealth Record: Stephanie Rice – 4:29.45 (2009)
• World Junior Record: Yu Yiting (CHN) – 4:35.94 (2021)
• 2016 Olympic Champion: Katinka Hosszu – 4:26.36
• Olympic Qualifying Time: 4:38.53

Podium:

1. Jenna Forrester – 3:39.93
2. Meg Bailey – 4:40.18
3. Emilie Muir – 4:44.82

The fastest qualifier this morning was Emilie Muir in 4:45.69, meaning swimmers will need drop over seven seconds to qualify for Tokyo. Meg Bailey was the early leader as she was the fastest through the butterfly leg in 1:02.12.  Jenna Forrester would move ahead on the backstroke, taking the lead at 2:14.04. Bailey would regain the lead on the breaststroke as she turned at the 300 mark in 3:34.20 and Forrester in 3:34.80. Bailey carried the lead through the 350 mark but would run out of gas as Forrester passed her in the last five meters of the race to win in 3:39.93.

As was the case in the men’s 100 breaststroke, none of the women in the 400 IM were under the OQT of 4:38.53.

Women 12&O 200 Free MC S4, S5, S14

Podium:

1. Madeleine McTernan – 2:13.28
2. Ruby Storm – 2:15.01
3. Jade Lucy – 2:16.47

All swimmers are under the S14 classification and were chasing the OQT of 2:07.78. McTernan was the leader from start to finish, dropping over two seconds from her prelims time to finish first in 2:13.28. Storm dropped over a second from her prelims swim of 2:15.01 and Lucy dropped over two seconds from her 2:18.63 this morning.

Men 12&O 200 Free MC S4, S5, S14

Podium:

1. Liam Schulter – 1:54.46
2. Ricky Betar – 1:55.53
3. Jack Ireland – 1:58.92

The men’s race was a tight one as Liam Schulter and Ricky Betar were within half a second of each other through the 150 meter mark. Schulter would pull ahead over the last 50 to finish in 1:54.46. Joining him under the qualifying time of 1:56.57 was Betar in 1:55.53.

Men 400 Free

• World Record: Paul Biederman (GER) – 3:40.07 (2009)
• Australian Record: Ian Thorpe (AUS) – 3:40.08 (2002)
• Commonwealth Record: Ian Thorpe (AUS) – 3:40.08 (2002)
• World Junior Record: Mack Horton (AUS) – 3:44.60 (2014)
• 2016 Olympic Champion: Mack Horton (AUS) – 3:41.55
• Olympic Qualifying Time: 3:46.34

Podium:

1. Elijah Winnington – 3:42.65
2. Jack McLoughlin – 3:43.27
3. Mack Horton – 3:43.92

The last event of tonight features three swimmers who were under the OQT this morning as well as the defending Olympic champion in the event. Elijah Winnington led a pack of five swimmers that were under WR through the first 100 at 53.49. At the 200 mark, Winnington continued to lead the way at 1:50.36. Horton made his move over the fifth 50, moving up to second at the 250 meter mark. Heading into the last 100, four swimmers were within .50 seconds of each other. Winnington would find another gear on the seventh 50, moving back in front with a .60 second lead. He’d continue to increase his stroke rate to pull away to finish in first in 3:42.65. Joining him in Tokyo will be Jack McLoughlin, who finished second in 3:43.27. Mack Horton will not have a chance to defend his gold medal from Rio as he finished in third place.

Winnington, dropped over a second from his previous best while McLoughlin dropped nearly a second. Both swimmers continue to lead the world rankings in the 400 free.

RANKING SEARCH RESULTS