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Quantas Skins Meet
Nov 23, 2004
Upsets and upstarts were the theme of the day at the Annual Quantas Skins meet, held at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre this weekend.
While stellar performances were had by many veterans, including Leisel Jones, who appears to be returning to the form that gave her the moniker "Lethal Leisel", the most common phrase heard throughout the day was certainly, "Who was that?", as a number of relatively unknowns stole the show.
In the men's 200m mystery medley where swimmers draw to determine their order of events, Adam Lucas usurped both Australia's IM specialist Justin Norris, as well as the USA's Robert Margalis, himself a formidable medley swimmer.
In the men's 50 fly, Andrew Richards got the best of two superfast flyers in Aussie Adam Pine and Great Britain's James Hickman, but perhaps the biggest surprise of all came in the men's 50 breast. Unknown Aussie James Beasley (again, who?) stroked past old guard Mark Riley, and new ace Jim Piper.
Some wins were almost predictable, like that of sprint queen Libby Lenton in the 50 fly and 50 free, or Linda Mackenzie in the distance freestyle, but others were suprising upsets.
Randall Bal, who missed the US Olympic team by the length of a fingernail this year, defeated Athens triple gold medalist Aaron Peirsol in the men's 50 back. Another near-Olympian, the USA's Nick Brunelli, swam past US Olympian Jason Lezak in the men's 50 free.
Lenton was the meet's only double winner, pocketing $10,000 for her efforts in securing victories in the 50 fly and 50 free. Fellow sprint phenom Alice Mills was second-highest, with her win in the 200 mystery medley, and second behind Lenton in the 50 free.
