Swimming Australia, who for all of their issues are constantly pushing the envelope on swimming formats, have scheduled a head-to-head-to-head tri-meet with some of the best from China and South Africa in January in what they are describing as the BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series.
The meet will feature massive prize money, which has already drawn in plenty of Olympians. That includes 5-time medalist Alicia Coutts, Melanie Schlanger, Cate Campbell, James Magnussen,and Christian Sprenger representing the Aussies.
China and South Africa haven’t released any hint of their rosters yet, but a press release by Swimming Australia indicated that at least World Record holder Cameron van der Burgh would be present to represent his country, meaning we will get a rematch of the Olympic silver and gold medalists in the 100 breaststroke between him and Sprenger. One would imagine that China, with many elites already training in Australia, will bring quite an impressive squad of their own.
Interestingly, the meet will be held in Perth in Western Australia, which is much less swimming-mad than the more populated eastern part of the country. Still, even without a single native son on the roster, the meet should be a sellout of gigantic proportions.
International dual meets have been done in the past (see the Duel in the Pool series), but rarely with this kind of hype, promotion, participation, and especially prize money. This meet will be the follow-up to last year’s highly-successful January “hype meet” that pitted four all-Australian supersquads, led by swimming legends, in a quad meet.
MEN: Daniel Arnamnart (NSW), Ashley Delaney (VIC), Thomas Fraser-Holmes (QLD), Jayden Hadler (NSW), Mitchell Larkin (QLD), James Magnussen (NSW), David McKeon (NSW), Kenrick Monk (QLD), Ryan Napoleon (QLD), Brenton Rickard (QLD), James Roberts (QLD), Christian Sprenger (QLD), Matthew Targett (VIC), Daniel Tranter (NSW), Chris Wright (QLD)
WOMEN: Bronte Barratt (QLD), Cate Campbell (QLD), Bronte Campbell (QLD), Alicia Coutts (QLD), Blair Evans (WA), Sally Foster (SA), Samantha Hamill (QLD), Belinda Hocking (VIC), Sarah Katsoulis (VIC), Yolane Kukla (QLD), Meagen Nay (QLD), Kylie Palmer (QLD), Leiston Pickett (QLD), Melanie Schlanger (QLD), Emily Seebohm (QLD)
Head Coach: Leigh Nugent
Coaches: Glenn Baker, Brant Best, Michael Bohl, Matthew Brown, Denis Cotterell, Simon Cusack, John Fowlie, Ron McKeon
Awards/Prize Money for Pool Swimming
The following awards will be given out;
1. Male Swimmer of the Meet
2. Female Swimmer of the Meet
3. Overall Winning Team
• The Swimmer of the Meet will be determined by FINA point score.
• The Overall Winning Team will be determined by points score. A point score will be in place for all events.
The points are 7 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1
• Points will only be awarded if the swimmer achieves the qualifying standard for the event they are competing in. Please see separate qualifying standard table.
• Points for the 800 Freestyle will be determined by adding the 2 swimmers times together and points awarded on the lowest accumulative time. FINA points will be calculated on the individual time. No points will be awarded if a swimmer is disqualified
• There will be prize money awarded for individual and team placing.
| RACE PRIZE MONEY | |
| Individual | Prize |
| First | $ 2,500.00 |
| Second | $ 1,500.00 |
| Third | $ 750.00 |
| Relay | |
| First | $ 8,000.00 |
| Second | $ 4,000.00 |
| Third | $ 2,000.00 |
| OVERALL AWARDS | |
| Individual Awards | |
| Male | |
| First | $ 15,000.00 |
| Second | $ 10,000.00 |
| Third | $ 5,000.00 |
| Female | |
| First | $ 15,000.00 |
| Second | $ 10,000.00 |
| Third | $ 5,000.00 |
| Winning Team – based on point score | |
| First | $ 100,000.00 |
| Second | $ 50,000.00 |
| Third | $ 25,000.00 |
I’m assuming it’s LCM and not SCM?
And, couldn’t they have come up with a better name than “BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series”?
??? It says what it is. People always complain that companies don’t sponsor swimming -yet one of the world’s biggest mining company does put in $$$ tralaah – a complaint.
Besides in Perth that is enough. For those not in the know Perth is the commercial centre of the state’s absolutely massive mining industry.
I say it is a great & anoter chance for swimmers to earn income & less whinging.
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Blair Evans & Sally Foster are not ‘sons’ but they are on the roster.
The competition also extends right down to the very young so there should be lots of local kids .
This also leads into 20km Mainland to Rottnest Island swim which is a local craze. You can barely get a hotel room when that is on .
Therefore I say -LOTs & lots of local interest.