Dual Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD) has started her NSW State Open Championship campaign in record-breaking style, setting a new NSW All Comers record last night in the 800m freestyle.
One of the real super-stars of the Dolphins Tokyo medal haul, "Arnie" finished it off in fine style, taking out the 800m in a time of 8:18.59 (59.91; 2.03.01; 3:06.53; 4:09.98; 5:12.61; 6:15.42; 7:18.13).
Titmus, the Olympic silver medallist behind US gun Katie Ledecky in Tokyo, started out her night at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre with a slick fourth placed 100m freestyle in 54.53 behind club mate Shayna Jack.
It took one full second off Jessica Ashwood’s 2016 NSW All Comers mark of 8:19.59, when the 2012 and 2016 dual Olympian was swimming with Queensland’s Chandler club.
Titmus had staged a real battle royal with St Peters Western training partner and fellow Tokyo 800m freestyle finalist Kiah Melverton over the first 700m.
Melverton stuck to Titmus like glue as she split 1:00.17 at the 100m mark, 2:03.34 (200m) and 4:10.30 (400m) –only trailing Titmus at the 700m turn by one full second.
It was over the final two laps where Titmus extended her lead by 0.86 – powering home over the final 100m in 1:00.46 to Melverton’s 1:01.32.
And in encouraging signs, World Junior champion Lani Pallister (Griffith University) returned to competition for the first time since last year’s Olympic Trials to finish third in 8:28.78, ahead of club mate and Australian five and 10km champion Moesha Johnson (8:28.96).
The girls will all line up in today’s 400m freestyle heats, before the 200m freestyle on Sunday.
Jack stole the 100m freestyle title when she powered down the first lap in 25.69 – with a real “catch me if you can” plan with the field in hot pursuit.
But as hard as they tried they couldn’t get to Jack who held on to clock 53.13 – a time that would have seen her sixth at last year’s Olympic Trials and on the team for Tokyo.
Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) the 16-year-old who was sixth and went on to swim in the heats of both the 4x100 and 4x200m freestyle in Tokyo – taking gold and bronze respectively – produced the fastest second 50 of 26.99, touching in 53.67, with Jack reversing the placings from December’s Queensland Championships.
Marion SA’s Madi Wilson – who was out in 26.20, behind Jack, finished third in 53.68.
Former WA Tokyo bronze medallist in the 4x100m freestyle relay Zac Incerti (Marion) kept his cool in the men’s 100m freestyle to power home to claim the title after fellow relay team member and SA-based training partner Matt Temple (ex-Nunawading, VIC) led down the first lap.
Temple was out in 23.71 to USC Spartan QLD’s Ashton Brinkworth’s 24;03 and Incerti’s 24.05 – but it was Incerti’s sub 26 second 50 that saw him claim the win in 49.52 from Temple (49.87) and Brinkworth (50.13).
Griffith University’s Cody Simpson (50.27) finished fourth and Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western) 50.49 fifth after his stirring victory in the men’s 400m freestyle.
Winnington clocked an eye-catching 3:47.05 to take the 400m from Griffith University training-partners Tokyo 400IM bronze medallist Brendon Smith (3:50.56) and Rio Olympic champion Mack Horton (3:52.81)
While another of the Olympic champions in Sydney this weekend, Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University) 2:05.85, didn’t disappoint in a comfortable win in the women’s 200m backstroke ahead of O’Callaghan (2:10.91) and USC Spartans Tahlia Thornton (2:13.03)
In other events on night one:
- DUAL Olympian Brianna Throssell (26.24) claimed the 50m butterfly and Olympic team mate Mitch Larkin (Chandler) the 50m backstroke in 25.48.
- GRIFFITH University’s new recruit from Nunawading, Bowen Gough powered away to record an impress win in the 200m butterfly in 1:57.70 (56.02).
- TOKYO medley relay gold medallist Chelsea Hodges (Southport, QLD) was the only swimmer under 1:08, for a comfortable win in the 100m breaststroke in 1:07.23.
- USC Spartans 20-year-old Joshua Yong (27.89) was too slick for Blue Mountains boys, Tokyo Olympian Matthew Wilson (28.18) and Haig Buckingham (28.36) – both from the Sydney Olympic Swim Club second and third respectively.
- ST PETERS WESTERN’s Jenna Forrester took out the women’s 400IM in 4:41.81.
- WHILE in the Multi-Class events NSW pair Timothy Hodge (Auburn) 1:01.51) and Taylor Corry (Nelson Bay) took out their respective 100m butterfly titles, while Benjamin Hance (USC Spartans) 1:58.32 won the men’s 200m freestyle and club mate Ruby Storm (2:17.52) the women’s event.
Day 2 Heats are streaming now on SwimTV. Get your event pass for $5.99.
Full 2022 NSW State Open Championships event info can be found on the Swimming NSW website.
