Kaylee McKeown and Zac Stubblety-Cook And A Host Of Teenagers Strike Gold On Night Two Of Australian Championships

A host of Australia’s “next gen” teenagers joined Olympic champions Kaylee McKeown and Zac Stubblety-Cook on top of the podium on night two of the 2023 Australian Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast.

Despite being in heavy training McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) and Stubblety-Cook (Chandler, QLD) showed why they are the best of the best at a windswept Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

McKeown admitted she was “feeling the burn” over the final stages of the 100m backstroke final but the world record holder still managed to clock the second fastest time in the world this year – behind herself.

The 21-year-old triple Tokyo gold medallist stopped the clock in a time  57.90 – just 0.45 outside her world mark of 57.45.

And it was her Tokyo teammate and last night’s 100m freestyle winner Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) still only 19 who continued her march up the backstroke rankings.

O’Callaghan clocked a personal best time of 58.42 to take the silver ahead of her club mate, 16-year-old Jaclyn Barclay (1:00.31) and later finished fourth in the 50m freestyle final – won by Shayna Jack in 24.55

Then it was Stubblety-Cook’s turn to switch on the afterburners with his trademark backend to clock under 2:10 in the 200m breaststroke – stopping the clock at 2:09.03 ahead of 2020 team mate Matt Wilson (SOPAC, NSW) who is re-discovering his form in 2:12.38 and Knox Pymble NSW’s Angus Menzies on the move in 2:13.35.

In between it was teen time with:

• Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD), just 17, fighting back to win a classic head-to-head finish with 19-year-old triple Commonwealth Games relay gold medallist Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) in the 200m freestyle – Taylor taking the win in 1:46.65 to Southam’s 1:46.67 with Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) third in 1:47.24.

• Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) at 19 continuing her career best form to win the 400IM in a personal best of 4:35.05 (third fastest Australian) after her pb of 2.09.32 in the 200IM on night one in the fourth fastest time by an Australian.

• Lizzy Dekkers (Chandler, QLD), 18, who looked every bit the Commonwealth champion winning the 200m butterfly in a personal best of 2:06.55 – to make her seventh fastest Australian – edging up a list that includes Steph Rice, Petria Thomas, Suzie O’Neill,  Jessicah Schipper andMaddy Groves.

• Sam Short (Rackley Swim Team, QLD), 19, just 24 hours after his stunning 400m freestyle win in the fastest time of the year in 3:42.46, turned in his fastest ever un-tapered 1500m freestyle time of 14:58,90.

While in the Multi-Class events, Australia’s Paralympians continued to impress with Tokyo gold medallist, S14 Benjamin Hance (St Andrews, QLD) nudging his own world record, winning the 100m backstroke in 57.46 (970 points), heaping praise on his coach, Olympian Ashley Delaney.

And Tom Gallagher, Keira Stephens, Tim Hodge and Katja Dedekind also swimming World Championship qualifiers in the heats and finals.

Gallagher (S10) won the 50m freestyle in sizzling 23.85 – his second qualifier of the day after his time in the heats of 23.72 had earlier earned him a selection berth.

Stephens was also impressive in the 100m breaststroke in 1:16.18.

2023 Australian Swimming Championships, Day 2, FINALS:

WOMEN

50m freestyle Multi Class

1. Katja Dedekind S13 (Yeronga Park, QLD) 27.71
2. Jasmine Greenwood S10 (Cruiz, ACT) 28.58
3. Rachael S4 (Chandler, QLD) 39.65

100m breaststroke Multi Class

1. Keira Stephens SB9 (Southport, QLD) 1:16.18
2. Paige Leonhardt SB14 (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:18.53
3. Ashley Van Rijswijk (Wagga Wagga, NSW) 1:20.34

100m backstroke Multi Class

1. Katja Dedekind S13 (Yeronga Park, QLD) 1:07.44
2. Holly Warn S7 (St Hilda’s Q:LD) 1:26.97
3. Madeleine McTernan S14 (All Saints, QLD) 1:10.97

50m freestyle

1. Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) 24.45
2. Meg Harris (Marion, SA) 24.55
3. Cate Campbell (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 24.88

100m breaststroke

1. Abbey Harkin (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:07.77
2. Jenna Strauch (Miami, QLD) 1:08.16
3. Talara-Jade Dixon (St Hilda’s WA) 1:08.60

200m butterfly

1. Elizabeth Dekkers (Chandler, QLD) 2:06.55
2. Brianna Throssell (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:07.08
3. Emma McKeon (Griffith University, QLD) 2:09.40

400m individual medley

1. Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:35.05
2. Kiah Melverton (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:45.21
3. Ella Ramsay (Chandler, QLD) 4:45.48

100m backstroke

1. Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 57.90
2. Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 58.42
3. Jaclyn Barclay(St Peters Western, QLD) 1:00.31

MEN

50m freestyle Multi Class

1. Tom Gallagher S10 (Somerset, QLD) 23.81
2. Rowan Crothers S10 (Yeronga Park, QLD) 23.81
3. Nicholas Layton (Propulsion, VIC) 23.85

100m backstroke Multi Class

1. Benjamin Hance S14 (St Andrews, QLD) 57.46
2. Timothy Hodge SB8 (ACU Blacktown, NSW) 1:01.29
3. Ricky Betar S14 (Cruiz, ACT) 1:01.62.

100m breaststroke Multi Class

1. Jake Michel SB14 (Carina Leagues, QLD) 1:05.47
2. Timothy Hodge SB8  (ACU Blacktown, NSW) 1:12.37
3. Riley Moore  SB9 (Woy Woy, NSW) 1:12.22

200m freestyle

1. Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:46.65
2. Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 1:46.67
3. Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:47.14

200m breaststroke

1. Zac Stubblety-Cook (Chandler, QLD) 2:09.03
2. Matthew Wilson (SOPAC, NSW) 2:12.38
3. Angus Menzies (Knox Pymble, NSW) 2:13.35

50m backstroke

1. Ben Armbruster (Bond, QLD) 25.27
2. Mark Nikolaev (BVond,QLD) 25.43
3. Bradley Woodward (Mingara, NSW) 25.44

1500m freestyle

1. Sam Short (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 14:58.90
2. Matthew Galea (SOPAC, NSW) 15.10.22
3. Nick Sloman (Noosa, QLD) 15:18.20