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Graham Cracks Aussie Youth Mark

Apr 9, 2013

The third record fell in two days at the 2013 Georgina Hope Swimmers Foundation Australian Age Championships in Adelaide, Victorian Alexander Graham clocking 54.87 in the boy’s 17/18 years 100m backstroke.


The time shaved 0.01 off the previous mark set by Olympic butterfly medallist Andrew Lauterstein in 2005. Graham held off a fast finishing Regan Leong, second in 56.18 and Robert Gerlach, third in 56.70.


Training partners Hayley Baker and Kotuku Ngawati (1:02.89) took the top two spots in the girl’s 17/18 years 100m backstroke final. Baker had a clear lead as she came into wall stopping the clock at 1:01.02 and successfully defending her 2012 title. Medley swimmer Mikkayla Sheridan picked up the bronze with a 1:03.12.


Victorian teenager Mack Horton dominated the boy’s 16 years 400m freestyle finish to win his second gold medal in as many days in a time of 3:52.26. 


Chasing the Australian age group record of 3:41.83, a then world record set by Ian Thorpe at the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships as a 16-year-old, Horton was far too strong for the rest of the field, winning by more than 10 metres in a strong sign for his 1500m free later in the week.  


Turning more than three seconds ahead of the rest of the field at the half way mark, the distance specialist was too strong for SOPAC swimmer Hayden Hinds-Sydenham who took silver in 4:00.31, with Canberra’s Lachlan Colquhoun picking up bronze in 4:01.13.


Thailand’s Sari Suwannachet (4:14.3) looked to have the girl’s 16 years 400m freestyle final in the bag after a speedy start saw the visitor leading well into the 300m mark, but Suwannachet would have to settle for silver following a spectacular finish from TSS Aquatic swimmer and fastest qualifier Kiah Melverton.  


Melverton picked up the pace in the final lap to level with Suwannachet and eventually take the title in the touch, with a time of 4:14.58. Nunawading swimmer Eliza Ham won bronze in 4:15.75.


For full results go to www.swimming.org.au

Report courtesy of Swimming Australia.

In other events:

Boy’s 15 years 100m Freestyle


Cherrybrook Carlile swimmer Vincent Dai took gold in the boy’s 15 years 100m freestyle, winning by just 0.05 of a second ahead of Queenslander Samuel Young.  Dai hit the wall in 51.97 with Young a shade behind in 52.02 and Max Carleton from East Brisbane third overall in 52.16.


Girl’s 15 years 100m Freestyle


Surrey Park swimmer Jemma Schlicht has sprinted to victory in the girl’s 15 years 100m freestyle final, hitting the wall in 55.92 to collect her first tile for 2013. Ravenswood swimmer Emily Waddington put in a strong chase but couldn’t catch Schlicht and will take home the silver in 57.04. The bronze medal went to East Brisbane’s Taylor Green in 57.43.

 Boy’s 14 years 200m Backstroke


Bowen Gough from Tigersharks in Victoria won his first gold medal of the meet in the boy’s 200m backstroke winning by more half a second in a time of 2:08.70.  Gough was too good for Bradley Woodward from Mingara, NSW and Benno Negri (2:09.38) from MLC Aquatic in Melbourne who finished in 2:09.86.


Girl’s 14 years 200m Backstroke


Monique Rae has won the backstroke battle in the girl’s 14 years 200m backstroke, defending her title and defeating fellow title older Amy Forrester (2:16.13) in a time of 2:12.68 - just 0.4 of a second off Forrester’s Australian Age record. Calypso Sheridan joined the girls on the podium, taking home the bronze medal in a time of 2:18.46.


Boy’s 12/13 years 200m IM


Willoughby swimmer Lucas Anderson was two seconds quicker than the rest of the field to win the 12/13 year boys’t 200m IM in a time of 2:15.08. Rory Scott from Albany Creek won silver in 2:17.21 with Jesse Goodyear taking bronze in 2:18.05.


Girl’s 12/13 years 200m Individual Medley


Less than half a second separated the top three swimmers in the girl’s 12/13 years 200m individual medley final but it was Victorian Paris Vasta who held onto the top spot touching in 2:24.51 to take her first Australian Age title. The silver medal went to Minna Atherton in 2:24.79 with Sarah Johnson bagging the bronze in 2:24.98.


Boy’s 16 years 50m freestyle


St Peters Western swimmer Cameron Jones backed up from his silver medal in the 100m freestyle last night to take gold in the boy’s 16 years 50m free in an impressive time of 22.64.  The Queenslander was too strong for the NSW pair of Angus Hannan (23.53) and Kyron Israelsohn (23.66).


Girl’s 16 years 50m Freestyle


Carlile sprinter Ami Matsuo (25.57) made it two from two with a win in the girl’s 16 years 50m freestyle final, snatching the gold medal from the grasp of Chelsea Gillett (25.67) and Lucy Soden (26.03) and setting her sights on the trifecta. With the 200m freestyle still to come, Matsuo is in fine form to take all three. 


Boy’s 15 years 200m Butterfly


TSS Aquatics swimmer Dominic Richardson took gold in the boy’s 200m butterfly by just 0.2 of a second winning in 2:01.96 from West Australian Damian Fyfe (2:02.14) and Carlile swimmer Callum Sherington who finished in 2:03.94.


Girl’s 15 years 200m Butterfly


Five-time Australian Age Champion from 2012 Alanna Bowles was too strong in the girl’s 15 years 200m butterfly final, flying ahead of the field to finish four seconds clear of her closet rival in 2:14.21. Queenslander Elianna McMenamin (2:18.25) just edged out Alice Stuart (2:18.27), stealing the silver medal by 0.02 of a second.


Boy’s 14 years 1500m Freestyle

Hobart Aquatic swimmer Jacob Vincent took three seconds off his personal best time to win Tasmania’s first gold medal of the 2013 Georgina Hope Swimmers Foundation Australian Age Championships in the boy’s 1500m free in a time of 16:26.15.  Vincent was seven seconds quicker than Toby Wilson (16:33.70) from Somerset, Queensland and Elliott Mitchell (16:39.85) from West Brisbane, Queensland.


Girl’s 12/13 yeas 100m Butterfly


The final of the girl’s 12/13 years 100m butterfly was a fight to the finish with five girls all within reach of taking the 2013 title as they approached the wall. Acacia Bayside swimmer Nicole Swan got the best touch on the wall to steal the gold and claim her first Australian Age crown. Queenslander’s Gemma Cooney and Laura Taylor collected the silver and bronze respectively with just 0.01 of a second separating them.


Boy’s 12/13 years 100m Butterfly
In an all Queensland podium, Nudgee Brothers swimmer Charles Cox won his first Australian Age title taking out the boy’s 12/13 years 100m butterfly in a time of 1:00.77. Cox was too fast for Jordan Brunt who won silver in 1:01.25, and Mark Adi from Brisbane Grammar in 1:01.54.


Girl’s 17/18 years 400m Individual Medley


Triple Australian Age Champion and title holder for this event from 2012, Taylor McKeown has successfully defended her title, taking out the final of the 400m IM in a time of 4:45.05. Distance freestyler Laura Crockart turned on the speed for the final lap to secure the silver medal ahead of Samantha Wilkins who took bronze in 4:50.35.


Boy’s 17/18 years 400m IM


Kiwi swimmer Bradlee Ashby was too strong for the rest of the field in the boy’s 17/18 years 400m IM winning in a time of 4:22.51 from Trinity Grammar’s Tomas Elliott (4:24.23) and Jared Gilliland from Nudgee Brothers who came in third in 4:24.71.


Girl’s 16 years 100m Breaststroke


Victorian Jenna Strauch (1:8.94) led from start to finish in the girl’s 16 years 100m breaststroke final with the Melbourne Vicentre swimmer stopping the clock over three seconds ahead of silver medallist Emma Harris (1:12.18). Harris just got the better of bronze medallist Stephanie Moore (1:12.24), touching 0.06 of a second in front. 


Boy’s 16 years 100m Breaststroke


Trinity Grammar swimmer James Traiforos was more than a second quicker than the field in the boys 16 year’s 100m breaststroke taking gold in a time of 1:04.12.  Grayson Bell from TSS Aquatics was second in 1:05.74, with Jayke Small taking bronze in 1:06.01.



Girl’s 14 years 800m Freestyle


The 2013 10km Open Water Champion Chelsea Gubecka has demonstrated her dominance in the distance events with a win in the girl’s 14 years 800m freestyle final. Gubecka stopped the clock at 8:48.92, cruising to victory over six seconds clear of the rest of the field to take the title for the second year running. Grace Hull picked up the silver medal in 8:55.06 ahead of Phoebe Hines who rounded out the top three in 9:00.70.