Campbell Posts Impressive 100 Freestyle Time on the Final Day of the Australian Grand Prix

Reigning world champion Cate Campbell swept the sprint events at the Australian Grand Prix in Canberra by taking the 100 freestyle in a time of 53.00. Campbell won the 50 freestyle in a time of 24.22, she also took gold in the broken 100 and 200 freestyle.

“I am absolutely thrilled with my performances here this weekend, they have been above and beyond what I thought I was capable of,” Campbell told Swimming Australia.

“I have only missed one gym session in this preparation and that time (53 secs) is the fastest I’ve swum at this stage of any previous preparation.”

“I’m actually really, really surprised and actually impressed with my ability to back up. I did what (coach) Simon (Cusack) told me to do and that was to back end it more.”

“I will do whatever I can to be as ready as I possibly can come Kazan (World Championships) –remembering that Rio is very much the focus.”

Campbell’s winning time would have put her in a tie with Ranomi Kromowidjojo for the gold at the London Olympics, but does not match her season’s best of 52.69, which currently has her tied with Femke Heemskerk for the world’s top time.

Campbell’s fastest time since 2012 came at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona where she won the event in a time of 52.34.

Campbell loved the competition format noted that it is nice to race knowing that you are still in a training environment, “This meet has a great format, it gives people a good chance to get some good training in which I think is very important at this time of the year,” said Campbell.

“You don’t want to be just racing because then you can miss out on those valuable training attributes.”

“So making sure that everyone had sort of a training set in the morning and then kind of a time trial format at night, adds a bit of spice and a bit of flavour and makes sure that everyone gets some good valuable training in as opposed to just racing.”

“They have provided some really great competition, I have really enjoyed kind of playing charades with the Japanese girls because we don’t speak the same language, so there’s a lot of charades going on at the moment.”

“They’re a great team and great people to get to know and I can’t wait to spend some more time with them especially in the lead up to the 2020 Olympics.”

The two countries have agreed to a joint program called ‘Project 2020’ focused on athletes who will compete at the 2020 Olympics. In the program the two nations combine their efforts in the way of competitions, joint training camps, coach exchange programs, and sports science exchanges between the two country’s to help ensure success in 2020.

Campbell’s sister Bronte Campbell finished second in the 100 freestyle posting a time of 53.89 which is well off of her season’s best of 53.04. Emma McKeon finished third in a time of 54.47.

Five Grand Prix records were broken on the final night of the competition.

On the first night of competition Ryosuke Irie set a new Grand Prix record in the 100 backstroke posting a 53.49, on the final night of the competition he set the 200 backstroke record winning the event in a time of 1:55.71. Mitch Larkin finished second in a time of 1:56.75.

Irie’s season’s best is a 1:54.62 while Larkin’s is a 1:55.52. The two are currently ranked number one and number two in the world.

After winning the bronze in the men’s 400 freestyle and finishing a distant second to his Japanese teammate Daiya Seto, Kosuke Hagino set a new Grand Prix record winning the men’s 200 IM in a time of 1:57.79. Seto finished second in a time of 1:58.37.

The two currently sit first and second in the world rankings.

Clyde Lewis finished third eight seconds behind Seto touching in a time of 2:06.40.

Yashuhiro Koseki broke the Grand Prix record in the men’s 100 breaststroke winning the event in a time of 1:00.83. Koseki’s season’s best is a 59.73 which has him in the third position in the world rankings.

After being out touched by Ryo Tateishi in the 200 breaststroke Koseki go the best of his teammate in the 100 breaststroke. Tateishi collected the silver in a time of 1:01.65. Christian Sprenger finished third in a time of 1:02.34.

The world’s top two women in the 100 backstroke finished first and second in the event in Canberra. Emily Seebohm set a new Grand Prix record posting a winning time of 59.39. She was followed by Madison Wilson who finished in a time of 59.94.

Seebohm and Wilson are the only two women to have dipped under the 59 second barrier this year.

After winning both the women’s broken 800 freestyle and 800 freestyle on the first day of the competition Jessica Ashwood returned to the pool to win the broken 400 freestyle this morning and the 400 freestyle this evening. Ashwood won the event in a new Grand Prix record time of 4:08.19 more than six seconds ahead of Leah Neale who finished second in a time of 4:14.52.

Team Fraser took the meet with 1,010 followed by Team Stockwell (902) and Team Beringen (801).

A final list of medal winners include:

Men

• 200m individual medley Kosuke Hagino (JAP) 1:57.79, Daiya Seto (JAP) 1:58.37, Clyde Lewis (AUS) 2:06.40
• 100m butterfly Takeshi Kawamoto (JAP) 52.37, Jayden Hadler (AUS) 52.71, Takuro Fujii (JAP) 53.10
• 50m freestyle Shinri Shioura (JAP) 22.08, Katsumi Nakamura (JAP) 22.23, Cameron McEvoy (AUS) 22.35
• 800m freestyle Jacob Vincent (AUS) 8:22.53, Damian Fyfe (AUS) 8:33.31, Joshua Parrish (AUS) 8:37.49
• 200m freestyle Cameron McEvoy (AUS) 1:48.68 Yuki Kobori (JPN) 1:48.73 Kurt Herzog (AUS) 1:49.35
• 100m breaststroke Yasuhiro Koseki (JPN) 1:00.83 (Grand prix Rec) Ryo Tateishi (JPN) 1:01.65 Christian Sprenger (AUS) 1:02.34
• 200m Backstroke: Ryosuke Irie (JAP) 1:55.71, Mitch Larkin (AUS) 1:56.75, Masaki Kaneko (JAP) 2:01.00
• 4x100m medley relay Team Fraser (1:38.62), Team Stockwell (1:39.19) Team Fraser (1:39.22)

Women

• 400m individual medley Sakiki Shimzu (JAP) 4:42.06, Keryn McMaster (AUS) 4:43.23, Chihio Igarashi (JAP) 4:50.28
• 400m freestyle Jessica Ashwood (AUS) 4:08.19, Leah Neale (AUS) 4:14.52, Chihiro Igarashi (JAP) 4:15.10
• 200m butterfly: Natsumi Hoshi (JAP) 2:09.37, Madeline Groves (AUS) 2:12.38, Keryn McMaster (AUS) 2:15.30
• 100m backstroke Emily Seebohm (AUS) 59.39 (Grand Prix Rec) Madison Wilson (AUS) 59.94 Minna Atherton (AUS) 1:02.54
• 100m freestyle Cate Campbell (AUS) 53.00 Bronte Campbell (AUS) 53.89 Emma McKeon (AUS) 54.47 Brittany Elmslie (AUS) 54.64
• 200m breaststroke: Kanako Watanabe (JAP) 2:24.31, Tessa Wallace (AUS) 2:25.01, Rie Kaneto (JAP) 2:25.73

Full results can be found here.