This past weekend, while American eyes were focused on the Grand Prix in Austin, another name that is familiar to US swim fans was lighting up the pool in the flood-ravaged Australian state of Victoria.
Targett has been lying low since the World Championship in Rome as he was stateside finishing his college degree, but now he is back in the water and back to doing great things. In prelims of the men’s 100 free, he swam a 49.66, which he confirmed with a 49.7 in finals of the Victoria Long Course State Championships. On early returns, these are easily the two-best times in the world in 2011.
Targett made his name in the NCAA as a part of Brett Hawke’s feared sprint crew at Auburn. Targett currently holds 4 NCAA records, and was the leader of the 2009 Auburn National Championship team. He also won the 50 fly at the 2009 World Championships in Rome
Targett, who is now training with Ian Pope at the Melbourne Vicentre Swimming Club, looks to be back on a collision course with the world’s best sprinters. Pope told The Australian that “He pretty much had a whole year off from swimming. Leading into last year’s trials he had hardly trained and he had lost his enthusiasm. But he recommenced in October and that’s the fastest he’s swum for about 18 months without a taper.”
Targett also took the 50 fly with a time of 24.36.
There were also some impressive breaststroke times in the meet with a 1:07.66 from Leisel Jones in the 100; and from Sarah Katsoulis and Emily Selig, respectively, 2:27.5 and 2:27.6 in the 200. Fourteen-year old Ami Matsuo impressed as the newest in a unbelievable crop of young Australian talent with a 25.73 in the 50 freestyle.
The biggest impresser amongst the international contingent at the meet was Britain’s Ellen Gandy, who put up marks of 27.06/58.75/2:08.02 in the butterfly events.