A host of swimming's biggest names have come out to play on the opening morning’s heats of the 2023 NSW State Open Championships at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre today and they didn’t disappoint.
Olympic champions Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA), Emma McKeon (Griffith University, QLD), Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD) and Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD), showed that they mean business in the lead up to this year’s World Championships in Japan in July, despite being in heavy training.
The Wollongong born-and-raised McKeon, Australia's most successful Olympian and Commonwealth Games star, had the busiest morning, pushing herself over the second 50m to post the fastest qualifying time in what will be a jam-packed women’s 100m freestyle in 53.65 – the third fastest time in the world this year.
And coming off the 50m butterfly heats earlier in the day which saw her Commonwealth Games team mate Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans) clock the fastest qualifying time of 26.39, followed by McKeon 26.49, Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 27.13 and Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) 27.28.
Commonwealth Games and World Championship gold medallist Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) won her 100m freestyle heat, impressing in 54.19, just edging out fellow relay gold medallist Madi Wilson (Marion, SA) 54.33 with third heat winner and Olympic relay gold medallist Meg Harris (Marion, SA) clocking 54.51.
Next to qualify was 16-year-old rising star Milla Jensen (Bond, QLD) in 55.00 followed by dual Olympic champion over 400 and 800m Ariarne Titmus in 55.12 – with Titmus also setting herself for the 800m freestyle tonight as well.
The one swimmer missing from the 100m freestyle field was reigning world champion, multi-skilled Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) who opted to race the women’s 200m backstroke up against reigning Olympic, World LC and SC and Commonwealth Games champion and world record holder Kaylee McKeown.
And it was McKeown who won the first heat in 2:10.89 and O’Callaghan the second in 2:11.81 – with the pair set to go head to head in tonight’s final.
The men’s 100m freestyle field will be led by 2016 Olympic champion and 2020 Olympic silver medallist Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) who was impressive in winning his heat this morning in 48.64, from fellow Commonwealth Games relay gold medallists Will Yang (SOPAC, NSW) and Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 49.14 followed by rising star Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 49.49.
Triple Olympian and Commonwealth and Australian record holder Cam McEvoy (Somerville House, QLD) at 28, qualified fifth fastest, followed by British record holder Lewis Burras, who swims and trains under former British world record holder Zoe Baker at the Peel Aquatic Club in Mandurah, WA next in 49.80.
For a look at all the finalists click on the Final Program link below.
