Big night 5 at Aussie trials 2024

Australian Trials – Day 5 Wrap 

Oh, what a day for the Mighty NSW Blues with two more swimmers making the cut for the Australian Olympic Swimming Team, 2 more putting their hands up for coveted relay spots and 5 Para swimmers making the Australian Paralympic swim team for Paris!! 

In the mens 200m Backstroke Bradley Woodward (Mingara – NSWIS HUB – Coach Adam Kable) was the fastest qualifier for the final with a smooth heat swim of 1:56.91. In the final he powered home to win the event in 1:56.22 and punch his ticket for Paris. NSW had 4 in the event and with 50m to go Se-Bom Lee (SOPAC – NSWIS HUB – Coach Adam Kable) was in 3rd spot…he burnt the last lap in 29.93 to get his hand on the wall in 2nd place in a new PB time of 1:57.02 and under the automatic Q time…what a time to pull a rabbit out of your hat! That puts Se-Bom on the plane for his second Olympics. So, two training mates are off to Paris…huge congratulations to Coach Adam Kable (that makes it three for him). 

Also in the field were Stuart Swinburn (COSAC – NSWIS HUB – Coach Adam Kable) finishing 5th in a new PB of 1:58.05 and 19 year old Marius Boll (Carlile – Coach Chris Nesbit) placing 7th in 1:59.83. 

Well, the 200m Backstroke set the scene for the W 100m Freestyle and NSW had 2 in a field worthy of an Olympic Final! Top 4 are automatic qualifiers for the W 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Team and Bronte Campbell (Cruiz – Coach Shannon Rollason – NSW Performance Centre – AIS) did just that… she placed 4th in a time of 53.10 and secured a place on the team. Also in the field was Olivia Wunsch (Carlile – Coach Michaela Pattinson), the Junior World Champion who came home with the second fastest 50m (27.25) to get her hand on the wall in 5th position with a new PB of 53.17…Australian selectors normally select 6 for the relay so we will wait for her to get the nod for a spot on the plane! 

In the last event of the evening Matthew Galea (SOPAC – NSWIS HUB – Coach Adam Kable) put in a fine effort in the mens 1500m to finish in a time (14:58.96) just outside the Olympic qualifying time. 

Also making A-finals Angus Menzies (Knox Pymble – Coach Nick Dobson) placed 6th in the mens 200m Breaststroke in 2:12.87 with Matthew Wilson (SOPAC – NSWIS HUB – Coach Adam Kable) placing 7th in 2:13.02. 

The last day of the Para Trials saw the announcement of the Australian Paralympic Swimming Team with the Mighty Blues securing 5 spots on the team plus Coach Misha Payne (ACU Blacktown) also on as a team coach. Congratulations on the following 5 swimmers and their coaches: 

Saturday is the last day of trials with the announcement of the Australian Olympic Swimming Team…GO you MIGHTY BLUES!!