Australian and Commonwealth short course record holder in the women’s 100m backstroke, Emily Seebohm will be searching for her third national title tonight when she takes on training partner Ellen Fullerton in the 200m individual medley.
Seebohm, who has already won Australian short course titles in the 100m backstroke and 100m individual medley this week, will be looking to return the top of the podium again tonight at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre in Adelaide.
The 22-year-old’s training partner Fullerton, who has won this event twice in the past (2008 and 2011) will go through to the final with the fastest time of 2:12.28, while Seebohm – who has also won this event twice (2009, 2010) was third fastest in 2:13.32.
The Nudgee Brothers duo will also need to keep a close eye on Indooroopilly’s Aisling Scott (2:12.31), who could spoil their shot at gold after sneaking into second spot following the heats this morning.
Both Fullerton and Scott will need to get a good start if they want to hold off Seebohm in the backstroke leg after she set an All comers record of 26.33 in the 50m backstroke heats this morning.
Seebohm will face an in form Madison Wilson (27.22), in the 50m back semi-final with defending champion Holly Barratt (27.13) also progressing in second place.
In the corresponding men’s event, gold medallist and Commonwealth short course record holder in the 100m backstroke Mitch Larkin will line up for the final of the men’s 50m back as the fastest qualifier after posting a time of 23.40 in the semis last night. Defending champion and Australian record holder in this event Bobby Hurley will be hot on his heels, progressing in a time of 23.66 with Ben Treffers third in 23.89.
Meanwhile in other finals, Southport’s Leiston Pickett will be looking to win her maiden short course 100m breaststroke title after leading the qualifiers from last night’s semi-finals in 1:05.47.
Pickett, the 50m breaststroke gold medallist from Glasgow, defended her short course 50m title earlier in the week. But she won’t have things all her own way with fellow Commonwealth Games medallist Lorna Tonks (1:05.56) and Nunawading’s Jessica Hansen (1:05.80) sure to keep her honest.
The men’s 50m men’s butterfly will see emerging star, 100m butterfly champion David Morgan (TSS) go head-to-head with experienced Olympians, Commercial training partners Tommaso D’Orsogna and Jayden Hadler – with only a fingernail separating the trio in last night’s semis.
In other events…
Women’s 50m freestyle Multi Class
Title holder in the women’s 50m butterfly, Madeleine Scott could add another gold medal to her name in the women’s 50m freestyle final tonight. Scott will go through ranked first in a time of 29.59 with second ranked qualifier Taylor Corry (28.67) and Maddison Elliott (31.17) in third, joining her in the fight for first place tonight.
Men’s 50m freestyle Multi-Class: Tim Antalfy (Hunters Hill) set the pool alight in the heats of the 50m freestyle, clocking 23.85 to head the qualifiers for tonight’s final with Mitch Kilduff (Menai, NSW) second fastest in 24.30 and Grant Patterson third fastest in 53.47.
Men’s 100m breaststroke Multi-Class: Central Cairns QLD’s Grant Patterson has continued his impressive form this week in this morning’s 100m breaststroke heats, grabbing lane four for tonight’s final in 2:20.63 ahead of Timothy Disken (PLC Aquatic, VIC) 1:13.37 and Paralympian Ahmed Kelly (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 1:56.54.
Men’s 100m freestyle: Tommaso D’Orsogna (Commercial) set the pace in the 100m freestyle heats clocking 47.36, touching out Pan Pac champion Cameron McEvoy (Palm Beach Currumbin) 47.50 with SOPAC’s Kurt Herzog (48.12), Andrew Abood (Sydney University) 48.25, Ashley Delaney (Nunawading) 48.27, Justin James (Mackay) 48.39, Ned McKendry (Chandler) 48.48 and Travis Mahoney (Nunawading) 48.61 rounding out the top eight into tonight’s semi-finals.
Men’s 100m individual medley: Lawnton, QLD’s Daniel Lester (54.72) is the fastest qualifier into the semi-finals of the 100IM ahead of Buster Sykes (Nudgee) 55.22 and Thomas Meggitt (Sydney Uni) 55.24 all chasing their first National title tomorrow night.
Men’s 50m breaststroke: Poland’s Michal Zwadka is the fastest qualifier into the 50m breaststroke semi-finals and as a visitor can take his place in the semis but not the final. It will leave the door open for 100 and 200m breaststroke gold medallist, Jake Packard (Indooroopilly) to claim the treble – a feat only achieved in recent times by Olympic silver medallist Brenton Rickard in 2005 and 2007. Hot on Packard’s heals will be Joshua Palmer (Marion, ASA) 27.65 and Tommy Sucipto (Leisure Park Lazers, WA).
Women’s 100m Butterfly
The top three swimmers moving onto the women’s 100m butterfly semi-final have hit the wall within 0.3 of a second of each other. St Peters Western swimmer Brittany Elmslie took top spot in 58.63, relegating fellow Queenslanders Emma McKeon (58.73) and Lucia Lassman (58.83) to second and third respectively.
Women’s 50m Freestyle
With a silver medal in the women’s 100m freestyle, Commercial swimmer Bronte Campbell will be looking to secure a centre lane for the final of the women’s 50m freestyle when she races in the semi tonight. Campbell clocked a 24.55 to progress in the first place ahead of Brittany Elmslie in 24.79 and Ellen O’Rourke in 24.89.
The above is a press-release submitted by Swimming Australia.