2019 AUSTRALIAN WORLD SWIMMING TRIALS
- Sunday, June 9th – Friday, June 14th
- Brisbane Aquatic Centre
- LCM
- Meet Site
- Swimming Australia 2019 World Championships – Selection Policy
- Day 1 Prelims Recap/Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap/Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap/Day 3 Finals Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Recap
- Live Results
- Live Stream
National Record holder Mitch Larkin lowered his own Aussie standard tonight in Brisbane in the men’s 200m IM, throwing down his fastest time by nearly half a second.
The 25-year-old St. Peters Western star has already shown he’s in his best form, nailing a winning mark of 52.38 in the 100m back to qualify for the World Championships, hitting his best time since 2015.
This morning he established himself as the man to beat in this 200m IM with the only sub-2:00 mark of the morning in 1:59.93, a cruising effort for the Pan Pacs silver medalist in this event.
Tonight, however, Larkin took things to entirely new territory, venturing under the 1:56 barrier for the first time of his career to win in a massive 1:55.72.
That effort checks-in as the new Australian National Record, Commonwealth Record, as well as the top time in the world this year. In fact, Larkin now sits atop the world rankings thrown by almost a second, with British ace Duncan Scott’s 1:56.65 appearing a mile away when sitting the times side-by-side.
2018-2019 LCM MEN 200 IM
LARKIN
1.55.72
| 2 | Daiya SETO | JPN | 1.56.14 | 07/25 |
| 3 | Jeremy DESPLANCHES | SUI | 1.56.56 | 07/25 |
| 4 | Duncan Scott | GBR | 1.56.65 | 04/20 |
| 5 | Shun WANG | CHN | 1.56.66 | 03/28 |
Splits for Larkin tonight include 25.03/29.46/33.55/27.68. Compare that to his previous NR splits from 2018 of 25.14/29.75/33.56/27.76 and Larkin was quicker on the front half this time around that made all the difference.
The man’s time tonight now checks him in on the all-time performers list worldwide at #9 with his outing now just sitting .32 away from American Chase Kalisz‘s personal best.
“Larkin was quicker on the back half this time around that made all the difference.”
I would argue that the difference was that he’s found his backstroke again – that was the biggest split difference.
Yes, meant front half, just replaced. Agree he’s back to form; clearly picking up what Dean’s (Boxall, not Farris) is throwing down!
Hope he shows up at Worlds. Lots of talent. Still, 1:55’s in the IM and back aren’t going to medal in Tokyo. Needs to keep on this trajectory.
I agree that I don’t think 1:55 will medal in Tokyo in the 200 back. In the 200 IM, though, that could get it done. Only Kalisz is consistently under 1:56, and with Hagino’s rocky path, there’s a lot of “maybes” for 1:55s, but no safe bets.
1:53 will medal probably in the 200 back since Rylov Murphy and Xu all go 1:53. For 200 IM 1:55 high or even 1:56 low since the fastest IMers are basically 1:55 (Kalisz and Larkin).
Olympic year in the most wide open event practically guarantees there will be a spoiler or two. Seto dropping 59 high 100 breasts will be there. Mark my words. It’s the one event where the favorite is vulnerable and far off the WR. Heck, Seli might be in the mix.
Sure, but for a 1:55 to not medal there has to be three 1:54s. I would bet against that happening, though it’s not impossible.
Larkin has spoken about not swimming the 200IM in Tokyo because it falls on the same night as his pet event the 200BK. In light of his improvement in the event surely he’ll reconsider racing it in Tokyo?
Think they’ll make that call after they see how his 200 back plays out, both here and at Worlds. If he’s back to 2015, or even 2016, levels in 200 back then …….
Why would the organisers do that? The 200m back medley combo isn’t exactly rare…
I mean.. kinda is tho. Lochte, Clary and Larkin and thats about it
more people might try the double if the finals were on different days. the simplest solution would be scrapping semis for the 200s, or for every event. Would also make the heats more exciting.
Hagino
Phelps made the Olympic team in 2bk but scratched. He might not have if they weren’t on the same night.
Yup, lotta people forget he was 2nd behind Piersol at Trials in 2004…
It’s rarer than the breast-medley or fly-medley combo
I mean, when you think about the nature of the 200IM, you’ll always have it clashing with someones events.
Except for freestylers
Seems like the 2BK + 4IM combo is more common. Beisel, Coventry, Lochte…
Dirado, Clary; That was also Alessia Filippi’s go-to combo at med Games. Speaking of her; any other women with a record like this; 200bk: 2.08.0, 400im: 4.34, 800fr: 8.17, 1500fr: 15.44… She was also a Euro medallist in the 200im!
Laure Manaudou. 1:55/4:02/8:18 200/400/800 free, second woman ever under 1:00 in the 100 back, 2:06.6 200 back, European champion in the 200 IM. Pretty sure she was sub 4:40 400 IM too.
Competition in 200 back will be much harder with Murphy, Rylov,Xu in there along with some young stars like Kolesnikov. But in 200 im its only Kalisz or may be Hagino. But there are some lots of swimmers who are around 1.56 territory. Seto, Scott, Wang, Qai, Devine, Swiss guy and etc. So it will be an interesting choice to make.
Don’t forget Philip Heintz (swam 1.55,7 in 2017) who is on his way to racing shape again.
The 200 IM is after the 200 back. So if it’s the 200 back he cares about it still wouldn’t have a 200 IM right before hand.
Can’t find a weakness there, four strong legs. 200IM looks exciting at Worlds with a lot of improving swimmers.
This is 2015 vintage Larkin that we are seeing at this meet with regards to how he looks in the water,
He wasnt swimming IM in 2015 though, was he? He is still improving in the event.
Correct. Larkin focused solely on backstroke after he made the olympics in the 200 back in 2012.