2022 AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, May 18 – Sunday, May 22, 2022
- SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Oaklands Park, South Australia
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- Entry List
- Live Results
- Live Stream (Amazon Prime)
- World Championships Qualifying Criteria
WOMEN’S 100 FREE- HEATS
- World Record: Sarah Sjostrom- 51.71 (2017)
- World Junior Record: Penny Oleksiak- 52.70 (2016)
- Australian Record: Emma McKeon– 51.96 (2021)
- Commonwealth Record: Emma McKeon– 51.96 (2021)
- FINA ‘A’ Cut: 54.25
Top 8 Finishers:
- Mollie O’Callaghan- 52.83
- Shayna Jack/Meg Harris– 53.27
- Madi Wilson– 53.52
- Ariarne Titmus- 54.02
- Leah Neale- 54.17
- Brianna Throssell- 54.22
- Rebecca Jacobson- 54.27
18-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan wasted no time making her mark on these Championships, tearing to a new personal best of 52.83 in prelims of the women’s 100 free. The 18-year-old rising superstar is now the fastest swimmer in the world this year as well as the first woman to dip under 53 seconds this year.
2021-2022 LCM Women 100 Free
O'Callaghan
52.49
| 2 | Shayna Jack | AUS | 52.60 | 03/18 |
| 3 | Sarah Sjostrom | SWE | 52.80 | 06/23 |
| 4 | Torri Huske | USA | 52.92 | 06/23 |
| 5 | Emma McKeon | AUS | 52.94 | 08/02 |
Additionally, O’Callaghan is now the 6th fastest Australian all-time in the event, becoming just the 7th Aussie to break 53 seconds in the LCM 100 free. I say just, but Australia has produced far and away the most sub-53 women’s 100 freestylers in the world, accounting for 7 of the 22 women in the world to have achieved such a mark. Australia is also the home country of the firsts woman to ever break 53 seconds in the 100 free: Libby Lenton.
Here are the 7 Australian who have been 52.99 or faster in the LCM 100 free:
| Rank | Time | Swimmer |
| 1 | 51.96 | Emma McKeon |
| 2 | 52.03 | Cate Campbell |
| 3 | 52.27 | Bronte Campbell |
| 4 | 52.62 | Libby Lenton |
| 5 | 52.76 | Madi Wilson |
| 6 | 52.83 | Mollie O’Callaghan |
| 7 | 52.92 | Meg Harris |
While it may be early to compare O’Callaghan to Australian Record holder Emma McKeon (51.96), she’s now just 0.87 seconds off the record, with another opportunity to swim faster in the rapidly approaching finals today. SO, let’s take a look at how O’Callaghan’s splitting this morning compares to McKeon’s splitting from her record swim at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last summer.
| Splits | Emma McKeon – Tokyo 2020 Olympic Finals (AUS REC) | Mollie O’Callaghan – 2022 Australian Swimming Championships Prelims |
| 1st 50 | 25.08 | 26.10 |
| 2nd 50 | 26.88 | 26.73 |
| FINAL TIME | 51.96 | 52.83 |
As the splits show, O’Callaghan already has the ability to close faster than McKeon, she’ll need to develop more front end speed to get down towards breaking 52 seconds.
It amazes me how AUS just routinely produce fast women 100free swimmers in the 52/low 53 range. The US has had like 3 so far in its whole history. The 4×100 free is a wrap
I was amused by the comment “just the 7th Aussie to break 53 seconds”. I don’t believe any other nation has more than two swimmers who have done it.
Weitzeil scraped under with her 52.99 in Tokyo to make it 3 for the US.
I’ll try again seeing as my other comment got stuck in the moderator queue. Wetizeil made it 3 for the US last year in Tokyo.
Now 8!
(Shayna)
Mollie is such a star already. Love her.
Lets hope she can get faster tonight, love to see her break 52.5!!!!
🦘🇦🇺🦘
They way she blasted off the wall at the 50, indicates to me she was playing up to that point…..big swim from her tonight I reckon. (Not that 52.8 wasn’t a big swim this morning of course…just reckon bigger is coming)
I really hope so, she looks taller & stronger this year. Looking forward to her 200 too.
She did look very very good, especially the power of her back half. Would not surprise to see a tenth or two quicker tonight. Sub 52.5 ….. would not surprise to see her in that ballpark over the next couple of years. Tonight …. whilst not implausible, maybe a touch optimistic.
Maybe, I’m always optimistic, we’ll see tonight.
2 tenth improvement tonight takes her to 52.63 not that far from breaking 52.5.
Remember this is just her heat swim & she generally improves with a final swim.
Not optimistic lol
Well always good to be optimistic.
Not optimistic enough lol