Dolphins duo secure individual Australian Open Water titles

Australian Dolphins Maddy Gough (Carlile) and Kyle Lee (North Coast) have finished their 2023 Australian Open Water Championships campaigns in style, with the pair claiming individual National titles with victory in the Women’s and Men’s 5km races.

Lee continued the momentum of his stunning anchor leg in North Coast’s 4x1500m mixed freestyle relay victory yesterday to produce a remarkable final lap and finish over the top of 10km champion Nick Sloman (Noosa) in a thrilling finish.

The pair eyeballed each other swimming stroke for stroke across the final 200m with Lee gaining the slightest separation through the inside lane of the finish chute to touch out Sloman by just .06 of a second, claiming his maiden individual national title in the process.

Fresh from her Bronze medal in the Women’s 10km on the opening day of competition, Gough employed her impressive 1500m speed to control today’s race from its halfway point, holding off 10km champion Chelsea Gubecka (Yeronga Park).

Gubecka mounted a typical challenge in the final lap but Gough, still so early in her Open Water career, displayed impressive nous to find separation and secure the Gold medal, with her Carlile teammate Tayla Martin (Carlile) rounding out the podium.

Perth’s North Coast were awarded the C.B. Rickards trophy as the Champion Club of the 2023 Australian Open Water Championships with 331 points, ahead of Yeronga Park on 275 and Noosa on 253.

In the Men’s 14 & Over 5km Multi-Class event, Tokyo Paralympian Alexander Tuckfield (S10 – SLC Aquadot) secured victory ahead of Ben Morrison (S14 – Melbourne Vicentre) and Johan Briedenhann (S9 – Revesby Workers).

Tommy Lane (Haileybury) claimed the Boy’s 18 Year Old title ahead of Dylan Thompson (Noosa) and Dougal Richmond (Yeronga Park), while Robert Thorpe (St Peters Western) continued his impressive Championships with victory in the Boy’s 19 Year Old event, with Kaiden Richings (North Coast) and Euan Liney (Knox Pymble) taking Silver and Bronze respectively.

Visiting Japanese athlete Kaito Tsujimori was first through the chute in the Boy’s 17 Year Old 5k ahead of Samuel Thorpe (St Peter’s Western), Xavier Collins (Westside Christchurch) and Lachlan Washington (Immanuel), while Daniel Carter (The Hills) took the Boy’s 16 Year Old National Title, with Tex Cross (Highlanders) and Thomas Dreverman (South Shore) in second and third.

The Japanese team enjoyed further success in the Girl’s Age races, with Ichika Kajimoto first in the Girl’s 19 Year Old event ahead of Australian Dolphin Finella Gibbs-Beal (St Andrews), Jacqueline Davison-McGovern (Yeronga Park) and Rosie Wilson (North Coast), and Miku Kojima claiming the Girl’s 18 Year Old race in front of Sienna Deurloo (Toowoomba Grammar), Emily Broun (Rackley) and Charlotte Brown (The Hills).

Taryn Roberts (Rocky City) claimed her second National Title of the Championships with victory in the Girl’s 17 Year Old 5km race ahead of Mackenzie Hunter (MLC Aquatic) and Esther Davies (Noosa), while it was also a second Australian Championship for Daisy Quinn (Sunshine Coast Grammar) with Gold in the Girl’s 16 Year Old event, as Bianca Monaco (Westside Christchurch) and Ella Reynolds (Noosa) took Silver and Bronze.