Two of Australia’s premier freestyle sprinters Cameron McEvoy and Bronte Campbell turned back the clock on the first session of the 2023 Sydney Open at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre today.
On the eve of their 29th birthdays, the triple Olympians, showed there was no slowing down as they both set their sights on a fourth Olympic campaign towards Paris, 2024.
McEvoy, who turns 29 tomorrow, swam his fastest 50m freestyle in four years – stopping the clock at 21.85 seconds – his first time under 22 seconds since the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju and the sixth fastest time in the world this year, to head the qualifiers into tonight’s final.
While Campbell, who turns 29 tomorrow, returned to the pool after a 20-month hiatus – having her first competitive swim since winning Olympic gold in Australia’s 4x100m freestyle relay in Tokyo in 2021 – clocking 24.97 – the fastest time of the 11 heats.
But unlike McEvoy, who will return for tonight’s men’s final, Campbell will skip the final to attend the wedding of her 2012 and 2016 Olympic teammate David McKeon in Tamworth.
“I actually made the booking to Dave’s wedding before I decided to swim at this meet,” said Campbell.
And on her comeback?
“Putting everything you’ve got and re-arranging your whole life to try and achieve something great. I don’t think you get to do that many times in your life,” said Campbell.
“So having one more shot at that, I couldn’t really let that pass and my road map is to Paris, that’s the goal.”
With Campbell missing the final it will leave Marion, SA training partners and her fellow Tokyo golden girls Madi Wilson (24.96) and Meg Harris (26.16) the two favourites to fight out the gold medal.
And McEvoy, the fastest of Australia’s current day sprinters over the past seven years, since clocking his personal best of 21.44 in 2016, is re-discovering what it takes to swim one lap as fast as possible again under coach Tim Lane in the Somerville House program in Brisbane.
McEvoy, unshaven and unrested, knows it’s a breakthrough as he prepares to swim the 2023 World Trials in Melbourne next month.
Meanwhile, Australia’s latest world record holder Kaylee McKeown, has returned to the pool where she broke the 200m backstroke world mark at the NSW State Championships in March, and heads the qualifiers into tonight’s 200IM final in 2:14.41.
But yesterday she joined some of Australia’s greats, who have had their hands and feet cemented for the Sydney Olympic Pool Wall of Fame.
“It was an extra special moment for me and unfortunately my family were not able to come down and watch but I remember having my first Age Nationals here at this pool and seeing the Wall Of Fame,” said McKeown.
“And just yesterday I had my hands and feet set cement like some many of the other world record holders, it’s something that you only ever dream of, so to be a part of that, you never really expect a world record but when you touch the wall and you see it (it’s amazing)…”
