Mollie O’Callaghan beat a world-class field to win the 100m freestyle at the Australian swimming championships on the Gold Coast, with Olympic champion Emma McKeon relegated to third place.
The national titles feature the country’s elite, but have no relation to the Olympic team, since the trials for the Paris Games will be held in early June in Brisbane.
The final featured five of the world’s fastest swimmers in the 100 metres, with former world champion O’Callaghan coming home in 52.27 seconds ahead of Meg Harris in 52.59, and Australia’s most decorated Olympian , McKeon, third in 53.09.
While the time easily put her within the Australian qualifying mark for Paris of 53.61, O’Callaghan was disappointed.
Shayna Jack, fourth, was also within the required time.
“It’s a pretty good time… I would have liked it faster,” said O’Callaghan, 20, whose cap slipped on the second lap.
“But there are many more things I have to improve.”
Three-time Olympian Bronte Campbell was forced to withdraw from Wednesday’s final with a calf injury.
The 29-year-old swimmer, who took a break from swimming after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, qualified eighth fastest in the morning heats.
Kaylee McKeown sent a message to her international rivals about her intentions in Paris in the 200m individual medley after skipping the event in Tokyo by breaking Stephanie Rice’s old Australian record.
The 200m backstroke world record holder touched the wall in 2:06.99, surpassing Rice’s mark of 2:07.03, set in 2009, with both swimmers coached by Michael Bohl.
McKeown said he wanted to practice backstroke and double IM at the Games.
“It feels pretty good to get under 2:07,” the 22-year-old told Channel Nine.
“I’m absolutely up for the challenge (of swimming both)… it’s going to be tough, but I feel like I’m putting myself in a good position to challenge myself and do the best I can.”
In other results, Kyle Chalmers set a personal best time of 23.10 seconds en route to victory in the men’s 50m butterfly.
Zac Stubblety-Cook defended his national title in the men’s 100m breaststroke, with the reigning Olympic 200m champion the only swimmer to go under one minute.
The 25-year-old Queenslander was surprised to hit 59.85 given he is coming off a three-week altitude training camp in Arizona.
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AAP
