Fukuoka 2023, Day 3 Oceania Recap: Where Do The Aussies Stand On Breaststroke?

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• July 23 to 30, 2023
• Fukuoka, Japan
• Marine Messe Fukuoka
• LCM (50m)
• WORLD CHAMPS WATCH PARTY – DAILY
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Entry Book
• Live Results (Omega)
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap

Australia has had an incredible start to the 2023 World Championships by many metrics, most importantly the country sitting atop the medal table with five golds.

One could argue that the Aussies having zero silver or bronze medals through three days indicates a good portion of the team is off form, clouded by the victories, but that largely doesn’t check out, with some solid swims coming close to the podium (Emma McKeon‘s 100 fly, Jenna Forrester‘s 200 IM or Brendon Smith‘s 400 IM) and the disqualification of Kaylee McKeown in the 200 IM.

In most of the other events, they weren’t favored to reach the podium, though there have been a few prelim swims that saw contenders knocked out early, such as Cameron McEvoy (men’s 50 fly) and Isaac Cooper (men’s 100 back).

But overall, things have been good.

Looking at Day 3 specifically, it was another solid outing for the Aussies, highlighted by McKeown’s win in the women’s 100 back, but perhaps one key takeaway was the performance of Sam Williamson in the men’s 50 breaststroke.

The Aussies have been using Zac Stubblety-Cook as their breaststroker on both the men’s and mixed medley relays over the last few years, and the results have largely been strong, considering “ZSC” is anything but a 100-meter specialist.

The 200 breast world record holder has multiple sub-59 splits on his resume, but has been hit and miss at times, including going nearly a second slower on the men’s medley relay (59.88) than he did in the mixed event (58.92) at the 2022 World Championships.

Here in Fukuoka, Stubblety-Cook had a solid start to the meet with a 12th-place finish in the 100 breast, clocking 59.69 to near his 2022 best time of 59.51.

Williamson was the runner-up to Stubblety-Cook (59.68) at the Australian World Trials in June in 59.86, which didn’t earn him an individual entry into the 100-meter event in Fukuoka.

However, on Tuesday, he fired off a significant personal best in the heats of the 50 breast in 26.76, well under his previous mark of 26.97 from the Commonwealth Games last summer and four-tenths quicker than he was at World Trials last month (27.17).

Although he was off of that in the semis, bouncing back from a bad start to qualify for tomorrow’s 50 breast final in eighth (27.06), Williamson appears to be on good form.

Could he be a potential option moving forward on the medley relays?

It would be wise for Australia to at least see what type of time Williamson could produce with a takeover in the 100 breast, given his form in the 50, and putting him on the prelim relay of the mixed medley on Wednesday morning would do just that.

However, there’s a good chance that won’t happen as he’ll be resting up for the 50 breast final. If he manages to medal there, then he’ll surely get the nod at least on the prelim relay of the men’s medley, or maybe saved for the final if Stubblety-Cook is off in the mixed event.

Going the female route on the mixed relay is likely not an option given it’s by far Australia’s worst stroke of the four on the women’s side, with the top backstroker, four of the top freestylers, and the #4 flyer on their squad. Abbey Harkin missed the final of the women’s 100 breast in 15th (1:07.11), but had a strong prelim swim (1:06.86) to dispell any notion of Kaylee McKeown swimming breast on the women’s relay.

National/Continental Records Through Day 3:

• Australia
  • Ariarne Titmus – women’s 400 free, 3:55.38 – World, Oceanic Record
  • Women’s 400 free relay, 3:27.96 – World, Oceanic Record
• New Zealand
  • Erika Fairweather – women’s 400 free, 3:59.59

Medal Table (Oceania) Through Day 3: