2015 HANCOCK PROSPECTING AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Dates: Friday, April 3 to Friday, April 10, 2015
- Times: prelims 10 am, semis/ finals 7 pm
- Location: Sydney Olympic Park (GMT +11, or 15 hours ahead of N.Y., 18 ahead of L.A.)
- Live Results: Available
- Championship Central
MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE FINALS
- Australian: 24.54 – 4/4/2014 Ben Treffers, Burley Griffin
- Title Holder: 24.54 – 4/4/2014 Ben Treffers, Burley Griffin
Benjamin Treffers threw down almost a repeat performance from prelims, where tonight’s time was just 1/100 over his 24.76 morning mark. 24.75 was good enough for Treffers to successfully defend his 50m backstroke title and tie for the third-fastest time in the world (shared with Junya Koga from yesterday Japanese Nationals). Treffers was also the only swimmer tonight to dip beneath 25.0, as second place finisher Bobby Hurley, who trains with Club Wolverine Elite in Ann Arbor, Michigan, touched in 25.31, followed by Mitch Larkin’s third-place time of 25.32.
WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE FINALS
- Australian: 30.16 – 8/2/2009 Sarah Katsoulis, Nunawading
- Title Holder: 30.89 – 4/2/2014 Leiston Pickett, Southport Oly.
Two competitors were able to surpass last year’s title-winning time of 30.89, thrown down by Southport’s Leisten Pickett. Although Pickett was right in the race again this year, it was ultimately Sweden’s Jennie Johansson who picked up the win in 30.68. Pickett was right behind her in 30.82, while 29-year-old Sally Hunter rounded out the top three with the only other sub-31 mark of 30.97.
MEN’S 400 IM FINALS
- Australian: 4:10.14 – 3/05/2013 Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Miami
- Title Holder: 4:10.68 – 2/04/2014 Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Miami
After facing adversity in the form of not successfully making the Worlds team in the individual 200 freestyle after having won gold in the event at both the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pac Championships, Thomas Fraser Holmes held nothing back in his 400 IM final. After a rather lackluster prelims performance in the 400 IM, which left him seeded 5th headed into the finals, Fraser Holmes burned up the pool in finals, cranking out a time of 4:13.98 for the win. This time not only knocked almost ten full seconds off of Fraser-Holmes’ prelims time, it also laid waste on the minimum FINA worlds standard of 4:19.21 on its way to being ranked now fifth in the world in the event.
Jared Gilliland also took things up a few notched in his final swim, crushing his 4:23.33 prelims time with a new finals mark of 4:16.58, also safely under the FINA Worlds standard. Nunawading’s Travis Mahoney led the field coming out of prelims, but wound up third in a time of 4:16.90 for his finals effort.
WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE FINALS
- Australian: 23.96 – 8/24/2014 Cate Campbell, Commercial
- Title Holder: 24.18 – 4/3/2014 Cate Campbell, Commercial
- FINA: 24.91
The Campbell sisters split the sprint freestyle events with one win each, as this time it was Bronte Campbell who came out on top for the 50 freestyle title. Bronte’s time of 24.19 was just 1/100 off of sister Cate’s title-winning time of last year (24.18), but good enough to touch the wall first in this furious contest. Cate Campbell would end up in second place this year, with a time of 24.33, followed by 28-year-old Melanie Wright, who clocked a solid 24.63. Bronte’s and Cate’s times from the final rank 2nd and 4th, respectively, but Cate still reigns on top of the world with the 24.03 she unleashed at the Aquatic Super Series.
Brittany Elmslie also cleared the FINA minimum standard, earning a time of 24.91, but fifth place finisher Alicia Coutts, just fell short and touched on the wrong side of the 25.0 mark, registering a 25.50 from her finals swim.
MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE FINALS
- Australian: 14:34.56 – 29/07/2001 Grant Hackett, Miami
- Title Holder: 14:51.55 – 6/04/2014 Mack Horton, Melb. Vicentre
- FINA: 15:00.48
18-year-old distance star Mack Horton took things to an entirely new level with his 1500 swim in finals. The Melbourne Vicentre swimmer was in a field of his own, turning in an incredible time of 14:44.09 to earn a new All Comers record, held by none other than the legendary Grant Hackett who was on deck watching the young star. Horton already held the top time in the world, which was the 14:55.76 he registered at the Aquatic Super Series and this new 14:44.09 mark simply further sets Horton apart from the rest of the world in this mega-distance event.
WOMEN’S 400 IM FINALS
- Australian: 4:29.45 – 10/08/2008 Stephanie Rice, StPeters Western
- Title Holder: 4:39.69 – 1/04/2014 Keryn McMaster, Waterworx
- FINA: 4:37.77
Just one swimmer was able to clear the FINA Worlds qualifying mark and that was Waterworx’s Keryn McMaster. McMaster finished in first place with a time of 4:37.56, just a skosh faster than the 4:37.79 time she clocked at the Aquatic Super Series. McMaster now owns the 8th and 9th-fastest times in the event in the world thus far this year. Tessa Wallace finished in a swift 4:38.13 for second place, then there was a small drop-off for third, where 19-year-old Tianni Gilmour finished in third with a time of 4:43.33.
MEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY FINALS
The team of Ben Edmonds, Joshua Palmer, Kyle Chalmers and Hayden Lewis combined to give their Marion club the 400 medley relay title in a time of 3:41.69. Splits below, per live results:
1 MARI ‘A’ 3:44.89 3:41.69 817
1) EDMONDS, BEN 23 2) r:0.15 PALMER, JOSHUA 23
3) r:0.35 CHALMERS, KYLE 16 4) r:0.02 LEWIS, HAYDEN 19
r:+0.60 27.28 56.09 (56.09)
1:24.44 (28.35) 1:57.73 (1:01.64)
2:22.71 (24.98) 2:50.97 (53.24)
3:14.80 (23.83) 3:41.69 (50.72)
WOMEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY FINALS
On the women’s side, it was the Melbourne Vicentre squad who touched the wall first, with the foursome of Hayley Baker, Jenna Strauch, Chritina Licciardi and Kotuku Ngawati registering a 4:10.56 for the top prize. Splits below, per live results:
1 MVC ‘A’ 4:25.39 4:10.56 794
1) BAKER, HAYLEY 19 2) r:0.44 STRAUCH, JENNA 18
3) r:0.36 LICCIARDI, CHRITINA 19 4) r:0.33 NGAWATI, KOTUKU 20
r:+0.54 29.81 1:00.92 (1:00.92)
1:34.62 (33.70) 2:14.38 (1:13.46)
2:42.53 (28.15) 3:14.80 (1:00.42)
3:41.41 (26.61) 4:10.56 (55.76)
MULTI-CLASS FINAL RESULTS
- Kane Thomas won the women’s 50m breaststroke in a time of 44.50, while Matthew Levy clocked the win for the men in a time of 35.70.
- In the 100 butterfly event, Madeleine Scott took the win in a time of 1:11.17 for the women. Mitchell Kilduff brought home the win for the men in a time of 1:00.44.
Race footage of the 1500m final:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30s72mgX570
NickH, Thanks for posting that race video! Horton is the real deal, and that race was very impressive!
Includes a cool pre-race interview with Horton, as well as an interview during the race, with Grant Hackett.
While I’d still love to see Cochrane take a gold, Mack is going to be the one to beat in Kazan.
According to Swim Vortex, Horton is the fastest ever 18-year-old with this swim. Sun is second at 14:46.84 (swam in 2009).
That’s incorrect; Larsen Jensen went 14:45 when he was 18. That still might be the national record if I’m not mistaken.
Sun Yang went 14:35 at the 2010 Asian Games, when he was still an 18-year old.
Sun Yang + his “medicines”
Don’t forget that.
Cate is still the faster Campbell sister, but Bronte is narrowing the gap all the time. Like a Venus-Serena kind of deal. As a youngest kid, I have to appreciate that. You never want to feel like you are living in your older sibling’s shadow – even if she happens to be one of the fastest swimmers on the planet!
Gotta love that sibling rivalry.
I think when we look back on their careers in the future Bronte will turn out to be the better sister at the 50 and Cate at the 100. Cate seems to have a slower start, and although her stroke is wonderfully efficient, I think Bonte’s faster turnover is more suited to the 50. Either way, they are an amazing 1-2 punch, and Australia is lucky to have them!
I’m a bit of a sentimentalist so I am very pleased to see how much they seem to genuinely care for each other and celebrate each other’s success.
That’s no small achievement and is a testament to themselves and they way they were raised.
The time has come for Mack, which is great for Australia because they have been struggling for a distance star since the Hackett/Thorpe era. Can’t wait to see what he puts up in Kazan.