2023 Australian World Championship Trials: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2023 AUSTRALIAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS

• Tuesday, June 13th – Sunday, June 18th
• Prelims at 10am local (8pm previous day EDT)/Finals at 7pm local (5am EDT)
• Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Center
• LCM (50m)
• World Championships Selection Criteria
• Meet Central
• Final Start List
• Live Results
• Livestream (9now)

It’s finally here – day one finals of the 2023 Australian World Championship Trials.

We’ll be treated to a lineup of potentially explosive performances, beginning with the women’s 200m IM. Versatile Kaylee McKeown captured the top seed and will try to improve upon her best-ever time of 2:07.19 from this year’s Sydney Open.

The men’s and women’s 400m free are also taking place tonight which means on the men’s side we’ll see a showdown between reigning world champion Elijah Winnington and current world leader Sam Short. Short hit a massive personal best of 3:42.46 at May’s nationals to rank as Australia’s 4th swiftest man in history.

For the women’s 4free, Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus will try to lay down a marker to Canadian rival Summer McIntosh who overtook Titmus’ former World Record of 3:56.40 at her Trials this past March.

Plus, Emma McKeon is slated to put on a show in the women’s 100m fly, already posting a rapid 57.35 to land lane 4 for this evening’s final.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• World Record – 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 2015
• Australian Record – 2:07.03, Stephanie Rice 2009
• Commonwealth Record – 2:06.88, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (GBR) 2016
• All Comers Record: 2:07.19, Kaylee McKeown (2023)
• AUS Worlds QT – 2:10.72

GOLD –  Kaylee McKeown 2:07.60
SILVER – Jenna Forrester 2:09.29
BRONZE – Ella Ramsay 2:11.89

McKeown led this women’s 200m IM from start to finish, owning a body-length lead on the field for the majority of the race. She ultimately got to the wall in a time of 2:07.60 to not only grab gold but easily clear the Swimming Australia-mandated time of 2:10.72 needed to qualify for next month’s World Championships.

McKeown’s outing represents the 2nd fastest of her career, sitting only behind the 2:07.19 All Comers Record she posted at the Sydney Open. That ranks her #2 in the world behind Canada’s Summer McIntosh.

Splits for McKeown’s result included 27.74/32.08 (59.82)/37.25/30.53.

Behind McKeown was Jenna Forrester with the 19-year-old St. Peters Western swimmer putting up a silver medal-worthy result of 2:09.29 as the only other swimmer under 2:10 this evening. That sliced .03 off of her personal best of 2:09.32 logged at this year’s Australian National Championships.

Ella Ramsay of Chandler rounded out the top 3 tonight in 2:11.89.

McKeown said post-race, “A relief to gain a qualification on the first night. Always good to blow out those cobwebs on the first race. Michael Bohl’s legacy speaks for itself.”

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record – 56.88, Adam Peaty (GBR) 2019
• Australian Record – 58.58, Brenton Rickard 2009
• Commonwealth Record – 56.88, Adam Peaty (GBR) 2019
• AUS Worlds QT – 59.49

GOLD – Zac Stubblety-Cook 59.68
SILVER – Sam Williamson 59.86
BRONZE – Joshua Yong 1:00.34

Although two men dipped under the 1:00 mark in this men’s 100m breast final, neither was quick enough to beat the Australian QT of 59.49 needed to automatically qualify for the World Championships. In fact, only finalist Matt Wilson has ever beaten the stiff selection standard.

Reigning world record holder and Olympic champion in the 200m breast, Zac Stubblety-Cook, got it done for gold in 59.68. He was behind on the first 50m but brought it home to chase down leader Sam Williamson who opened in a front half of 27.32.

Williamson, who trained with Adam Peaty of Great Britain earlier this year, settled for silver in 59.86 and UWSC’s Joshua Yong also landed on the podium in 1:00.34.

ZSC’s personal best rests at the 59.51 from last year’s World Championships so the 24-year-old’s outing here came within .17 of that result. As for Melbourne Vicentre’s Williamson, the 25-year-old’s time here fell just .04 outside his best-ever.

Assuming ZSC qualifies in the 200m breast, it’s very possible the Swimming Australia coaching brain trust adds this 100m breast to his lineup for Fukuoka despite not meeting the QT. Of note, his time did get under the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut of 59.75.

On the deck after the race, ZSC stated, “We’ve rested a good amount. That’s a good confidence swim. Definitely building into that 200 for Saturday.”

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• World Record – 55.48, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 2016
• Australian Record – 55.72, Emma McKeon 2021
• Commonwealth Record – 55.59, Maggie MacNeil (CAN) 2021
• AUS Worlds QT – 57.91

GOLD – Emma McKeon 56.74
SILVER – Brianna Throssell 57.66
BRONZE – Lily Price 57.78

The women’s 100m fly bronze medalist from the 2020 Olympic Games Emma McKeon clocked a time of 56.74 to take the event tonight, challenged on the front half by Brianna Throssell. 

St. Peters Western’s Throssell wound up at the wall in 57.66, with both women getting under the Australian qualifying time of 57.91.

Tonight’s bronze medalist Lily Price also got under the cut with a bronze medal-worthy 57.78 and 22-year-old Alexandria Perkins, this evening’s 4th-place finisher, also cleared the QT in 57.80.

McKeon owns the national record in this event with her swift 55.72 from Tokyo so tonight’s effort was just over a second off of that best-ever result. Throssell’s personal best remains at the 56.96 she produced last year in Budapest where she ultimately placed 6th in 56.98.

As for 20-year-old Price of Rackley, her 57.78 outing this evening now renders her as Australia’s 11th fastest woman in history.

On her performance here in Melbourne, McKeon said, “I was hoping for a bit quicker but this is trials and it’s all about making the team.”

McKeon now ranks 5th in the world this season in this women’s 100m fly event.

MEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 3:40.07, Paul Biedermann (GER) 2009
• Australian Record – 3:40.08, Ian Thorpe 2002
• Commonwealth Record – 3:40.08, Ian Thorpe (AUS) 2002
• AUS Worlds QT – 3:46.47

GOLD – Sam Short 3:43.38
SILVER – Elijah Winnington 3:43.48
BRONZE – Mack Horton 3:46.71

It was a thrilling finish all the way to the wall, as Sam Short and Elijah Winnington battled throughout this men’s 400m free with it coming down to the touch.

Winnington led after the first 100m but Short took over with Winnington on his hip the remainder of the way until he made his move in the final 25m. Short ultimately got there first in 3:43.38 while Dean Boxall-trained Winnington hit 3:43.48.

The 2016 Olympic champion in this event Mack Horton put up a solid performance of 3:46.71 for bronze.

Short said post-race, “I put the hammer down with 150m to go and I paid for it.”

Winnington stated, “Tonight was just about doing the job. It’s about replicating this on the world stage.”

Both Short and Winnington easily cleared the QT of 3:46.47 needed for Fukuoka. Short’s mark of 3:42.46 from April’s National Championships keeps the Rackley 19-year-old ranked #1 in the world while Winnington now slots himself as 3rd fastest.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 3:56.08, Summer McIntosh (CAN) 2023
• Australian Record – 3:56.40, Ariarne Titmus 2022
• Commonwealth Record – 3:56.08, Summer McIntosh (CAN) 2023
• AUS Worlds QT – 4:06.44

GOLD – Ariarne Titmus 3:58.47
SILVER – Lani Pallister 4:02.43
BRONZE – Kiah Melverton 4:05.03

Former World Record holder Ariarne Titmus attacked this women’s 400m free race from the get-go, jumping out to the lead and never looking back. The reigning Olympic champion looked smooth and in control, ultimately producing a time of 3:58.47 as the sole sub-4:00 swimmer of the field.

Qualifying for Fukuoka was no problem for Titmus while runner-up Lani Pallister also got the job done. A 4-time Short Course World Champion, Pallister also looked controlled with a silver medal-worthy swim of 4:02.43.

Open water ace Kiah Melverton logged 4:05.03 for bronze, a time which also cleared the 4:06.44 cut for Fukuoka.

This marks Titmus’ first sub-4:00 outing of the season, now checking her in as the #2 performer in the world behind Canada’s newly-minted World Record holder Summer McIntosh. Pallister is positioned as the 6th quickest performer on the season after tonight’s final.

Titmus said after this race, “It wasn’t the best-feeling 400m but every swim under 4:00 is a fast swim. The last 2 months I’ve put in a lot of good work. I would have preferred to have been a little bit faster tonight but that means there are things to work on.”

Titmus’ 3:58.47 ranks as the St. Peters Western star’s 5th-best personal performance as well as the 13th-fastest performance in history.

Ariarne Titmus‘ Top 5 LCM 400 Free Performances

1. 3:56.40 2022
2. 3:56.69 2021
3. 3:56.90 2021
4. 3:58.06 2022
5. 3:58.47 2023