Breaststrokers 'Stoupas' in our tracks on night four

Daniel McLoughlin (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins) and Justin Lee (Knox Pymble) had a slight lead over an even field heading into the first 50m of the Men’s 17 Years 100m Butterfly. Touching first in 25.80 Lee powered off the wall and into his final 50m, matched in strength and determination by McLoughlin who challenged relentlessly. With McLoughlin just over his shoulder, Lee dug deep and got his hand on the wall first to claim gold in a searing 54.74. McLoughlin claimed a well-earned silver medal in 55.22, with Trinity Grammar’s Caleb Dryer taking bronze in 56.49.

The Men’s 18 Years and Over event was an equal thrill, featuring titleholder Shaun “100m Fly” Champion (Abbotsleigh) and Tokyo Olympian Se-Bom Lee (Carlile). Champion’s technical skill and endurance was unmatched this race, leading by a body length with 25m left to go. Champion built further momentum into the wall and claimed the win in a quick 53.02. Zach Maher (Carlile) from Carlile earned the second spot on the podium in 54.22, while Joseph Hamson (Knox Pymble) claimed third (54.99).

Competitors in the Women’s 16 Years 200m Freestyle glided into the start of their race, but it wasn’t long before the girls turned up the heat, with Abbey Connor (Revesby Workers) pulling away from the crowd in a one-on-one contest with Chelsea Jones (Wests Illawarra). By the 150m mark, Bella Grant (Trinity Grammar) kicked into gear, showing contenders that she is not one to be left behind. Connor maintained a strong lead, with Grant bearing down on her all the way to the wall to touch in 2:02.31 and 2:02.88 respectively. Jones’ Wests Illawarra teammate Jaimie Delutiis delivered a strong final leg of her race and overtook the competition to claim third place in 2:05.17.

Knox Pymble’s engine Kai Lilienthal was back at it this session in the corresponding Men’s event. Competitors held together through the first half of the race, smooth and measured in their strokes. After slowly building momentum, the race turned electric in the final 50m, with top contenders Archie Taylor (KRB Aquatics) and Kai Lilienthal bearing down in a head-to-head battle to the wall. Lilienthal brought home the gold in 1:55.71, followed closely by silver medallist Taylor (1:56.07) and bronze medallist Remy Lennon (Warringah Aquatic) 1:57.46.

The 12–13-year-old girls turned out a memorable race in the 200m Butterfly event. A staunch competitor, Niamh Higley (City of Sydney Aquatic) took the lead in the third leg of her race, driving into the wall to prepare for a powerful final 50m. Maintaining a body length’s lead over her competition, while keeping great form, Higley claimed victory in 2:30.21. Hunter’s Alexis Sutherland and Wests Illawarra’s Kyah Shipley also delivered fantastic races, finishing up in second (2:33.13) and third (2:35.52) respectively.

Our NSW Breaststrokers demonstrated an impressive level of skill and athleticism on night four. In sensational form these Championships, 14-year-old Nicholas Stoupas (Cranbrook) lead the way in the Men’s 13-14 Years 100m event. Touching first at the 50m mark in a sizzling 30.86, Stoupas competently used his time underwater to gain ground and emerged in prime position to assert his dominance over the field. Barrelling into the wall, Stoupas stopped the clock in 1:05.15, reminiscent of a young Olympian, and current NSW Record-holder, Matt Wilson (1:04.44). This outstanding swim earned Stoupas Swimmer of the Night! Joining Stoupas on the podium were silver medallist Anton Jovanovic (Liverpool) 1:08.83, and bronze medallist Joseph Kim (Knox Pymble) 1:09.10.

It was a stacked line up in the Women’s 16 Years 200m – and competitors delivered the exciting race we all anticipated. Contenders Bella Zhang (Knox Pymble), Tilly King (Loreto Normanhurst) and Bianca Fuller (Kinross Wolaroi) were hungry for gold, all breaking away for an early lead at the 50m mark. At the final turn, Fuller propelled herself ahead confident and assured, but King had other plans for the podium. Drawing upon all her reserves, King dug deep and powered past Fuller to get her hand on the wall in 2:36.83, claiming the top spot. A fearless competitor, Fuller earned a hard-fought second place in 2:37.13, followed by Bella Zhang in third (2:38.69).

SOPAC’s Christian Toia was in a league of his own in the Men’s 16 Years 200m Breaststroke, creating an early lead and gaining more and more ground as the event progressed. Showcasing his breaststroke proficiency, Toia was unreachable in the final leg of his race, driving home in a stellar 2:24.97. Second place went to Joshua Sales (Hornsby) 2:33.87, with David Kang (MLC Marlins) taking out third in 2:35.87.

Demonstrating his competency in all four strokes, Samuel Higgs (Warringah Aquatic) captivated the crowd in the Men’s 15 Years 400m IM. Ever the unpredictable event, in a pleasant contrast to the norm, Higgs began his race from a solid position and only built upon his lead, moving from strength to strength. Higgs was free and clear in the final 100m of his race, stopping the clock and claiming first place in 4:36.09. Wests Illawarra’s Brayden Woodford went hard for the podium, moving up in the field to challenge Hayden Hoang (MLC Marlins). Hoang claimed second place in 4:44.04, followed by Woodford (4:46.26) in third.

Catch the penultimate night of finals on SwimTV, streaming tonight, 24 January, from 5:30pm.