Hansen, Packard Show Good Form At Day 2 Prelims Of Aussie Trials

2018 AUSTRALIAN PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS

• Saturday, June 30th – Wednesday, July 4th
• SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre, Oaklands Park, South Australia
• LCM
• Pan Pacs Selection Criteria
• Qualifiers from Commonwealth Games
• Meet Site
• Start List
• Live Stream
• Live Results

The first preliminary session of the 2018 Australian Pan Pac Trials have wrapped up in Oaklands Park, South Australia, with the top swimmers just doing what’s necessary to advance onto tonight’s final. Swimmers will be aiming to attain Australia’s Pan Pac Pan Pac qualifying standards, though many already punched their ticket at the Commonwealth Games.

Two of the swimmers who have yet to reach the standard but are very close are breaststrokers Jessica Hansen and Jake Packard, who both performed well in the prelims of the women’s and men’s 100 breast.

Hansen, who is the fastest Aussie in the event this year at 1:07.02, qualified 1st in a time of 1:07.32, with Georgia Bohl (1:07.54) and Leiston Pickett (1:07.75) also sub-1:08 in 2nd and 3rd. None of the three have a qualifying standard in any event yet for Pan Pacs, but will have a shot in the final with the mark standing at 1:06.81. Even if they don’t reach that time, the stakes will be high to book a win and likely be added to the team for the medley relay.

In the men’s event, Packard is the fastest Australian this season at 59.57, and wasn’t far off that mark in the prelims in 59.72. Just like Hansen, he was just about half a second outside the qualifying time in prelims, with the mark sitting at 59.24.

Matthew Wilson, who has also been sub-1:00 this year, qualified 2nd in 1:00.90, just ahead of Daniel Cave (1:01.09).

In the 200 freestyle, Emma McKeon led the women’s event in 1:58.39, though she already qualified in the event at the Commonwealth Games in 1:56.26 (just under the standard of 1:56.34). Four more swimmers were under 2:00, led by 23-year-old Mikkayla Sheridan (1:58.93).

In the men’s event, Commonwealth gold medalist Kyle Chalmers qualified 1st in 1:47.38, just ahead of 18-year-old Elijah Winnington (1:47.43). Chalmers, along with Mack Horton who qualified in a tie for 9th (ten person A-final), have already made the Pan Pac standard of 1:46.28.

There were only nine entrants in both the women’s and men’s 400 IM, allowing swimmers to cruise through the prelims straight into the A-final. Blair Evans (4:48.47) and Tomas Elliott (4:29.26) took the top seeds, while Ariarne Titmus swam a best time of 4:52.24 for 4th in the women’s race. Mitch Larkin, who, like Titmus, has already qualified for Pan Pacs, was the 6th qualifier in the men’s event in 4:33.15.