Aussies wow at World Junior Champs

Remember this name – Olivia Wunsch!

The 17-year-old capped off the final session of the World Aquatic Junior Swimming Championships in Israel last night with two gold medals – bringing her personal medal haul to 5 gold and 1 bronze for this meet.

Last night, Wunsch added the 50m free to the 100m free title she had won earlier in the campaign and then teamed up with Jaclyn Barclay, Hayley Mackinder and Isabella Boyd to win the 4x100m medley relay (pictured) – after the US team had been disqualified.

Wunsch won the 50m free in 24.59 secs, with teammate Hannah Casey claiming the bronze in 25.07secs, and in doing so became just the second Australian female swimmer to win this event at a World Junior Swimming Championships after Bronte Campbell’s win in Lima in 2011.

It was another career-best time for Wunsch, who also clocked a PB in the 100m, and equalled the Championship Record.

Wunsch has been one of the breakout stars of the campaign, on top of her two individual golds – she also won gold in all three of the Junior Dolphins’-winning relays.

It should be noted – Wunch’s 100m gold win in 53.71 was the second fastest time recorded at Junior Worlds and the first time the 17-year-old has been sub 54 – which she then promptly went under again.

“I just came to this meet looking for some more international exposure, so I’m really happy with the race I put together and really happy with Australia’s depth in the 100m Freestyle … ” Wunsch told World Aquatics after her race.

But the fact she had enough left in the tank for one more personal best on the sixth day of racing in Netanya is credit to Wunsch’s conditioning and fortitude.

In other outstanding results:

• Jamie Perkins won the women’s 400m free – making it a Junior-Senior double for Queensland club St Peters Western following the win by Ariarne Titmus at Fukuoka in July – and on the same night Thomas Pattison won bronze in the men’s 50m fly.
• A late lunge and a PB (28.01) from Iona Anderson saw her win a gold medal in the 50m back, with teammate Jaclyn Barclay (28.14) winning bronze.
• Flynn Southam (48.58), Edward Sommerville (48.54), Wunsch (53.62) and Milla Jansen (53.55) swam 3:24.29 setting a new World Junior Record en route to gold in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay, breaking the old mark by 1.7 seconds.

The Junior Dolphins finished the meet with 24 medals – 9 gold, 7 silver and 8 bronze – behind the USA (15 gold, 11 silver, 7 bronze) with Canada third with 13 medals including 2 golds.

HONOUR ROLL

Gold

>Women’s 50m Free – Olivia Wunsch

>Women’s 100m Free – Olivia Wunsch

>Women’s 400m Free – Jamie Perkins

>Women’s 50m Back – Iona Anderson

>Women’s 100m Back – Jaclyn Barclay

>Women’s 4x100m Free Relay – Milla Jansen, Hannah Casey, Jaimie De Lutiis, Olivia Wunsch (Heat swimmers: Jamie Perkins, Amelia Weber, Jaimie De Lutiis, Hannah Casey)

>Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay – Jaclyn Barclay, Hayley Mackinder, Isabella Boyd, Olivia Wunsch (Heat swimmers: Iona Anderson, Isabella Johnson, Bella Grant, Milla Jansen)

>Men’s 200m Free Flynn Southam

>Mixed 4x100m Free – World Junior Record: Flynn Southam, Edward Sommerville, Olivia Wunsch, Milla Jansen (Heat swimmers: Marcus Da Silva, Anders McAlpine, Jaimie De Lutiis, Hannah Casey)

Silver

>Women’s 100m Free – Milla Jansen

>Women’s 100m Back – Iona Anderson

>Women’s 200m Fly – Bella Grant

>Women’s 4x200m Free – Jamie Perkins, Hannah Casey, Jaimie De Lutiis, Amelia Weber (Heat swimmers: Jamie Perkins, Hannah Casey, Bella Grant, Jaimie De Lutiis)

>Men’s 50m Free – Flynn Southam

>Men’s 4x100m Free Relay – Edward Sommerville, Marcus Da Silva, Anders McAlpine, Flynn Southam (Heat swimmers: Marcus Da Silva, Tane Bidois, Thomas Pattison, Edward Sommerville)

>Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay – Jaclyn Barclay, Gideon Burnes, Isabella Boyd, Edward Sommerville (Heat swimmers: Iona Anderson, Joshua Kerr, Enoch Robb, Jaimie De Lutiis)

Bronze

>Women’s 50 Free – Hannah Casey

>Women’s 50m Back – Jaclyn Barclay

>Women’s 200m Back – Bella Grant

>Women’s 50m Fly – Olivia Wunsch

>Men’s 100m Free – Edward Sommerville

>Men’s 200m Free – Anders McAlpine

>Men’s 50m Fly – Thomas Pattison

>Men’s 4x200m Free – Anders McAlpine, Edward Sommerville, Marcus Da Silva, Flynn Southam (Heat swimmers: Edward Sommerville, Karl Albertyn, Ike Martinez, Marcus Da Silva)