Timothy Disken has set the standard on the final night of competition at the 2014 Georgina Hope Swimmers Foundation Australian Multi Class Age Championships in Sydney, walking away from the meet with a total of 8 age group titles.
The Victorian swimmer, who will represent Australia at the Para Pan Pacs in California this August has demonstrated his dominance at this meet, picking up medals across the freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and medley disciplines.
After winning a gold medal in the 50m backstroke at the Australian Swimming Championships in Brisbane, 17-year-old Disken is working his way up the swimming ranks and will no doubt be one to watch on the road to Rio and beyond.
Disken’s first of many medals tonight came in one of his pet events, the boy’s 17-18 years 100m backstroke with Zachary Jones (1:22.04) and William Baker (1:38.67) rounding out the top three place getters.
Showing his versatility and ability to back up after events, Disken then took out the boy’s 17-18 years 100m breaststroke in a time of 1:16.34 with the time was quick enough to relegate Matt Ward (1:19.71) to second and Joshua McErlean (1:27.11) to third.
The soon to be Australian senior team debutant picked up his final medal of the meet in the last event of the night – the boy’s 17-18 years 200m individual medley.
Disken’s versatility was on display has he eased through the four laps in a time of 2:30.78. Hurstville swimmer Oliver Cox took the silver in 2:41.46 with William Baker’s time of 3:10.26 putting him in the bronze medal position.
At the end of an amazing week, Paralympian Amanda Fowler will leave the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre with seven Australian Multi Class Age crowns following her gold medal performances in the 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke and the 200m individual medley tonight.
The Hurstville based swimmer set the tone for the night in her first event this evening, collecting a gold medal in the girl’s 17-18 years 100m backstroke Multi Class final. Fowler finished in a time of 1:16.38, proving too strong foe Elizabeth Slack (1:20.13) in silver and Nicole Fielden (1:24.77) with the bronze.
Not long after her win in the backstroke Fowler was back on top of the medal dais with a sixth gold around her neck. The 17-year-old didn’t hold back in the final of the girl’s 17-18 years 100m freestyle Multi Class, taking the win in 1:27.88.
Caitlyn Mackay was the next best placed swimmer in 1:39.39 with Jade Lucy third in 1:41.55.
Fowler then finished the meet on a high grabbing her seventh gold in her final event of the night, the 200m individual medley in a time of 2:45.68.
A strong performance from Rakiya Thomas saw her secure silver in 2:57.17 while Caitlyn Mackay took the bronze in 3:07.86.
Other strong performances saw rising stars Emily Beecroft and Matthew Hearne leaving the meet with six titles each.
In other events…
Girl’s 11-14 years 50m Backstroke Multi Class
At just 14-years-of-age Emily Beecroft (38.07) is proving a force to be reckoned with in the water, as the talented teen was awarded her sixth Australian Multi Class age Crown in the final of the Girl’s 11-14 years 50m backstroke. Beecroft managed to get the better of Nicole Miro (36.59) and Tiffany Thomas Kane (46.08) for the win.
Boy’s 11-14 years 50m Backstroke Multi Class
Timothy Hodge took a step up on to the top of the podium in the boy’s 11-14 years 50m Backstroke Multi Class. After collecting a number of silver and bronze medals, Hodge finally grabbed that elusive gold medal in a time of 32.77. Matthew Hearne (33.13) had to settle for silver with Samuel Greatorex(31.06) taking the bronze.
Girl’s 15-16 years 100m Freestyle Multi Class
Sprinter Amy Cook showed off her speed in the final of the girl’s 15-16 years 100m freestyle multi class claiming victory in a time of 1:07.29. Yeronga Park swimmer Rakiya Thomas secured the silver in 1:06.94 with Megan Botha collecting the bronze in 1:09.92.
Boy’s 15-16 years 100m Freestyle Multi Class
There were only 8 FINA points separating the gold and silver medallists in the boy’s 15-16 years 100m freestyle Multi Class final. Hitting the wall in 1:03.49, Liam Schluter just managed to get the better of Callum Sanderson in 1:03.77 with Jordan Dessent’s time of 1:08.38 giving him the bronze.
Girl’s 15-16 years 50m Breaststroke Multi Class
Kingscliff’s Kate Wilson took out top spot in the final of the girl’s 15-16 years 50m breaststroke Multi Class final in a time of 51.22. Wilson’s time left Xiaoli Gribble (46.53) in the silver medal position and Nikesha Harding (44.80) with the bronze.
Boy’s 15-16 years 50m Breaststroke Multi Class
Rohan Bright dropped exactly two seconds from his seed time to take the title in the boy’s 15-16 years 50m breaststroke Multi Class, hitting the wall in 42.86. Robert Stott (46.52) produced a strong swim to secure the silver medal while Lachlan Boye (40.88) bagged the bronze.
Girl’s 11-14 years 100m Breaststroke Multi Class
The girl’s 11-14 years 100m breaststroke Multi Class crown was awarded to Paige Leonhardt from Port Macquarie with her time of 1:27.67 good enough to get over the top of Tiffany Thomas Kane (1:51.88) and Kendall Williams (1:30.36) who finished in second and third respectively.
Boy’s 11-14 years 100m Breaststroke Multi Class
Thirteen-year-old Liam Bekric was the top ranked swimmer from the boy’s 11-14 years 100m breaststroke Multi Class, taking home the gold medal with a time of 1:18.32. The silver medal went to Solomon Coleman in 1:23.63 while Samuel Greatorex capped off a great meet with another bronze medal in 1:18.79.
The above is a press release submitted by Swimming Australia.