Veteran Aussie D’Orsogna Keeps Career Alive With West Aus Gold

2018 WESTERN AUSTRALIA STATE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Friday, January 19th – Sunday, January 21st
• HBF Stadium
• LCM
• Meet Central
• Start Lists
• Day 1 Results

The 2018 Western Australia State Open Championships kicked off quietly at HBF Stadium, with veteran racers Brianna Throssell, Tommaso D’Orsogna and Holly Barratt in the medal mix on day 1. Visiting swimmers from Malaysia, Scotland and other nations were also sprinkled among tonight’s finals, all getting in some solid international racing.

30-year-old Rockingham’s Barratt started her WA States campaign with an easy win in the women’s 50m butterfly. 26.59 is what she produced tonight for gold, representing the only swimmer under the 27-second threshold in the race.

UWA West Coast’s Blair Evans was tonight’s victor in the women’s 400m IM, clocking 4:39.76 to win by well over 20 seconds, while Olympic finalist Throssell got the job done in the women’s 100m freestyle. Throssell stopped the clock at 55.17, a new personal best for the 21-year-old 200m butterfly specialist.

Mainstay D’Orsogna was successful in the 100m freestyle, registering a time of 49.69. The doctor-in-progress may be vying for a spot on the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay at next month’s Trials, with his time tonight positioned right in the mix of the 48-high/49-low results earned by Cameron McEvoy, James Magnussen and Kyle Chalmers at other state championship meets.

Visiting swimmer Welson Sim of Malaysia found himself on top of the podium in the men’s 400m freestyle, winning in 3:53.37 and also picked up a silver behind D’Orsogna, albeit a ways back, in a mark of 51.24.

Scottish athletes Craig Benson, Camilla Hattersley and Craig McNally were among medalists tonight, with Benson taking 50m breast silver, Hattersley taking silver in the 100m free and McNally swimming away with bronze in the 50m backstroke event.