Powered By
HomeNews ArticlesStirring freestyle Wins To Kyle Chalmers And Mollie O’Callaghan And A Second World Record To Timothy Hodge Highlight Final Night Of Aussie Champs
Club and Community | 20 April 2023

Stirring freestyle Wins To Kyle Chalmers And Mollie O’Callaghan And A Second World Record To Timothy Hodge Highlight Final Night Of Aussie Champs

A powerhouse performance from Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers, a freestyle double to world champion Mollie O’Callaghan and a second world record to Para Dolphin star Timothy Hodge closed the curtain on an action-packed four days of racing at the Australian Championships on the Gold Coast tonight.

Chalmers wasted no time in letting his younger rivals know that he’s ready to lead them on an Olympic journey towards Paris next year, taking the National 100m freestyle title in 48.00 seconds.

It was the 24-year-old sprint king from Marion SA, who led from start to finish – turning in 23.25 and holding on to that lead as he stormed home to beat teenagers, 17-year-old 200m winner Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) in 48.41 (23.43) and Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) in 48.53 (23.89).

“These boys are the reason I get up every day – they inspire me to get up and get after it and they are the future,” said Chalmers, who admitted he has never been happier in his swimming career.

And the boys were barely dry before O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) led home an all-star field in the women’s 200m freestyle, which saw 50m freestyle winner here Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) take it out in the first 150m –ahead of Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD) and O’Callaghan.

With 25m to swim it was “team St Peters” – Jack out in lane eight and Titmus and O’Callaghan in lanes five and four respectively who fought out the finish, with O’Callaghan finding that little but extra to take the win in 1:55.15 from Titmus 1:55.28 and Jack holding on for third in 1:55.37.

“Mollie O” adding the 200m title to her last gasp win over Jack in the 100m and her personal best times in the 50 and 100m backstroke, capping a great meet.

Another remarkable showing of the depth in the Australian program and all from the same squad, under the leadership of St Peters head coach Dean Boxall with the versatile backstroke golden girl Kaylee McKeown(Griffith University, QLD), powering home for fourth in 1:56.88 – after her wins in the 100 backstroke, 200IM and the 200m breaststroke.

The night began with a mighty second world record swim from ACU Blacktown Paralympian Timothy Hodge who showed there is no stopping him, breaking his second WR of a day to remember – again lowering his own 200m IM mark he had broken in Melbourne earlier in the year and then again this morning.

The 20-year-old Engineering student from Sydney took 0.30 off in the heats and then another 0.90 in the final – clocking 2:12.06 to set himself up for a strong showing with the 32-atrong Para Dolphins Team named tonight for this year’s Para World Championships in July-August in Manchester.

“I’ve got to say I’m very, very happy with that time and to break that world  record twice was amazing,” said Hodge.

“I’ll go back and sit with my coach and work out what we did right and what we can improve on moving forward.”

It was a night to remember for the girls from St Peters with the trifecta in the women’s 200m freestyle followed by another trifecta in the women’s 200m backstroke which saw the arrival in open competition of another teenage prodigy in 16-year-old National Age star Jaclyn Barclay.

After dominating the Australian Age Championships last week, the Brisbane schoolgirl produced a heart-stopping victory over SPW teammates Hannah Fredericks and the inform Jenna Forrester – who has had the meet of her life.

Barclay lunged at the wall to take her maiden open title in 2:11.50 from Fredericks 2:11.72 and Forrester 2:11.95.

And the performance certainly stirred the emotions of expert meet commentator and former Australian 200m backstroke champion and two-time Olympian in Meagan Nay.

“What a start….great turns….and she showed a lot of heart…Jaclyn’s got the whole package..and what a future,” said Nay.

There was further joy for the St Peters team before the night was done with dual Olympian Brianna Throssell fighting all the way to the wall to add the 100m butterfly to her 50m butterfly win from last night, touching in 57.57 in a classic finish with Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) and Kayla Costa(Southport, QLD) third in 59.37.

While SPW ironwoman, Forrester was only a touch away in fourth in 59.45 – and fitting the St Peters Club was awarded the S B Grange Trophy for the Australian Champion Club.

In other highlights:

Griffith University’s Olympic bronze medallist Brendon Smith came with his trademark big finish to snatch the 400IM title from Tokyo teammate Se-Bom Lee, now at SOPAC – Smith clocking 4:16.37 to Lee’s 4:16.73 after he had set the field a merry chase through the butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke legs.

Nunawading’s rising star William Petric hung tough to take the bronze in 4:17.85.

While in the last individual event of the Championships saw Tokyo Olympian Madeleine Gough (Carlile, NSW) strut her stuff to win the 1500m freestyle.

The Australian record holder and Olympic finalist scored a comfortable win in 16:08.76 from Rackley Swim Team’s Tiana Kritzinger (16:33.96) and Rio Olympian open water representative Chelsea Gubecka(Yeronga Park, QLD) third in 16:345.14 in a stroke-for-stroke battle to the wall.

Gough and Gubecka have already qualified for the Australian open water marathon team for the World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka in July and will vie for the pool team at the World Trials at the Melbourne Sport And Aquatic Centre from June 13-18.

The Aussie sprinter they call “King” Kyle Chalmers down under kept kid power at bay and his crown in tact with a slashing 100m freestyle win on the final night of the Australian Championships tonight at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

Chalmers (Marion, SA), the 24-year-old Olympic gold and silver medallist from 2016 and 2020 respectively, stopped the clock in 48.00 seconds flat – the fifth time in the world this year.

The big South Australian powered home ahead of 17-year-old breakthrough boy Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 48.41 with 19-year-old Commonwealth Games find from 2022, Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) third home in 48.53.

Chalmers didn’t hold back, going through the first 50m in 23.25 from Taylor (23.43) and Southam (23.89) and the country’s premier freestyle sprinter had enough to keep the youngsters at bay – with Southam, known for his backend speed clocking the fastest return 50 of 24.64 – but it was all Chalmers.

Earlier in the week it was Taylor, the exciting young son of Australian swimming legend, two time Olympic medallist and former world champion, Hayley Lewis, who claimed his maiden Australian title in the 200m freestyle, ahead of Southam, who has raced non-stop through the Australian Age and Open.

Chalmers was full of praise for his young rivals, saying he couldn’t wait to see them on the Australian relay teams as they prepare for the Paris campaign and in the short term, en-route to the June World Championship Trials in Melbourne as they get set for Fukuoka in July.

“They are the reason I get up every day – they inspire me to get up and get after it and they are the future,” said Chalmers, who admitted he has never been happier in his swimming career.

“I’m actually working as a builders laborer two or three times a week and as much as it hurts me, I’m loving it and I’ve never been happier.”

And the man who inspired his “tradie mate”- fellow Marion Olympian and scaffolder Matt Temple, who joins Chalmers on the building sites of Adelaide showed that it is doing him no harm with more than a tradesman like performance to win the 200m butterfly in 1:56.96.

Temple, the 23-year-old who came to join Chalmers and coach Peter Bishop from Melbourne after the Tokyo Games, flew home to win a satisfying National title ahead of former Western Australian 19-year-old Ruan Van Der Riet (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:59.22 and defending champion Bowen Gough (Griffith University, QLD) third in 1:59.42.

2023 Australian Championships, Day 4, FINALS

 Women

 200m freestyle

  1. Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:55.15
  2. Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:5528
  3. Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:55.37

1500m freestyle

  1. Madeleine Gough (Carlile, NSW) 16:08.76
  2. Tiana Kritzinger (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 16.33.96
  3. Chelsea Gubecka (Yeronga Park, QLD) 16:34.14

 

200m individual medley Multi Class

  1. Katja Dedekind SM13 (Yeronga Park, QLD) 2:33.64
  2. Lakeisha Patterson SM9 (USC Spartans, QLD) 2:38.80
  3. Hannah Price SM10 (Campbelltown, NSW) 2:44.49

50m breaststroke Multi Class

  1. Keira Stephens (Southport, QLD) 35.54
  2. Jenna Jones (USC Spartans, QLD) 37.63
  3. Ashley Van Rijswijk (Wagga Wagga, NSW) 37.79

200m backstroke

  1. Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:11.560
  2. Hannah Fredericks (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:11.72
  3. Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:11.95

100m butterfly

  1. Brianna Throssell (St Peters Western, QLD) 57.57
  2. Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 57.64
  3. Kayla Costa (Southport, QLD) 59.37

100m butterfly Multi Class

  1. Taylor Corry (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins, NSW) 1:08.54
  2. Jasmine Greenwood (Cruiz, ACT) 1:08.05
  3. Ruby Storm (St Andrews, QLD) 1:09.43

Men

100m freestyle

  1. Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) 48.00
  2. Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 48.41
  3. Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 48.53

 

200m individual medley Multi Class

  1. Timothy Hodge (ACU Blacktown, NSW) 2:12.06 (world record)
  2. Ricky Betar (Cruiz, ACT) 2:12.72
  3. Liam Schluter (USC Spartans, QLD) 2:14.92

100m butterfly Multi Class

  1. Timothy Hodge (ACU Blacktown, NSW) 59.69
  2. Col Pearse (Nunawading, VIC) 56.76
  3. Alex Saffy (Bunbury, WA) 57.46

400m individual medley

  1. Brendon Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 4:16.37
  2. Se-Bom Lee (Carlile, NSW) 4:16.73
  3. William Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 4:17.85

50m breaststroke

  1. Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 27.48
  2. Joshua Yong (UWA West Coast, WA) 27.84
  3. Joshua Collett (Bond, QLD) 28.06

 

200m butterfly

  1. Matthew Temple (Marion, SA) 1:56.96
  2. Ruan Van Der Riet (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:59.22
  3. Bowen Gough (Griffith University, QLD) 1:59.42

150 Mixed medley Multi Class

  1. Ahmed Kelly (Yarra Plenty, VIC) 3:05.84
  2. Grant Patterson (Central Cairns, QLD) 3:12.43

50m breaststroke Multi Class

  1. Jake Michel (Carina Eagles, QLD) 29.34
  2. Timothy Disken PLC Aquatic, VIC) 32.92
  3. Dylan Logan (Melbourne, VIC) 32.37