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Seebohm Double; Huegill Back In The School

Mar 18, 2010  - Craig Lord

Day 3 finals at Australian Commonwealth Games trials and nationals witnessed upset in the 100m free courtesy of the same swimmer who caused upset on day 2 - but this time the news was less bright for Yolane Kukla, a tremendous 14-year-old talent starting out on a voyage through senior waters. Kukla stopped the clock first, in 54.50 but was disqualified for a false start. 

The crown went to Emily Seebohm, 17, on 54.70. Good time for the backstroke ace but it marked the slowest winning time in the national final since Sarah Ryan's victory in 2002 and made the Aussie 4x100m free quartet look vulnerable, even at Commonwealth level. An hour later, multi-eventer Seebohm was back to win the 100m backstroke in 59.21. A breakthrough season ahead, perhaps, for a teenager talent with a great career ahead of her.

Kukla, meanwhile, caused a storm yesterday when she won the 50m 'fly ahead of world champion Marieke Guehrer. Today, Kukla jumped back on her proverbial horse moments after disappointment in the 100m free to claim a place in the 100m butterfly final, on 1:00.31, the helm taken by Stephanie Rice and Jessica Schipper, respectively on 58.55 and 58.85.

And at the other end of the spectrum .... he's back: 12 years after winning the Commonwealth 100m 'fly crown, 10 years after winning bronze in the 100m butterfly at the 2000 home Olympics in Sydney, and 9 years after winning the world 50m crown, Geoff Huegill, 31, stormed to the Aussie national title in the sprint 'fly with a 23.46sec blast that made him a Dolphin once more. Back in the school, back in the race, back chasing a Commonwealth crown he won in Kuala Lumpur, 1998, before the bodysuit was out of nappies. His time is just 0.02sec outside his lifetime best, the 23.44 that delivered the world crown at Fukuoka in 2001. Fabulous. Never say never.

"It's been a dream come true," Huegill told reporters in Sydney. "To come back from the position I was in, it's something I definitely don't take for granted. It's been well and truly worth all the pain.... The emotions I feel today are well and truly on par with the way I felt 10 years ago when I stood behind the blocks at the Sydney Olympics."

Leisel Jones cruised to her 21st national crown, with victory in a 200m breaststroke final that marked a grand moment for her training partner Sarah Katsoulis. Hayden Stoeckel claimed his second backstroke crown of the trials, while Brenton Rickard retained the 100m breaststroke title in 1:00.19.

In semis, Eamon Sullivan took lane four for the 100m free final, in 49.35. Race reports below.

Australian Commonwealth Games trials and Nationals - Day 3

Women 100m freestyle

Well down on the times that Aussie sprinters have been recording in recent years and an ocean away from the sub 53sec efforts of Libby Lenton/Trickett in and out of poly suits, the current generation of 100m freestylers Down Under have work to do if they are to recapture glories past. The crown at trials in Sydney today went to Emily Seebohm, 17, a backstroke ace, and on 54.70 over two laps freestyle. The result sheet masked hope. Yolane Kukla, 14, turned first at the 50m mark in 26.03 and looked set for a clear sub 55sec swim. The scoreboard beamed a 54.50 win. Then, moments later, the time vanished to be replaced by DQ, a false start depriving her of what might have been a second title at nationals for the 14-year-old who won the 50m 'fly crown yesterday. Silver behind Seebohm, coached by Matt Brown at Brothers in Queensland, went to Alicia Coutts, on 54.86, bronze to Alice Mills, a sub 54sec sprinter in textile before shiny suits arrived and now on 55.32. Kukla, courtesy of already being on the team, is more than likely to step up for the 4x100m relay, but in the race today berths were claimed by Angela Bainbridge, on 55.40, Kelly Stubbins, on 55.44, while Bronte Barratt, on 55.51, had already booked her ticket to Delhi, in the 200m freestyle.

The Times Transition (Aussie trials, 2008, 09, 10 and Rome 2009 top 2 Aussies):

  • 2008: 52.88wr; 53.81; 54.20
  • 2009: 52.99; 54.28; 54.50
  • Rome 2009: 52.93; 54.21
  • 2010: 54.70; 54.86; 55.32

Suits are one thing but this is an event that reflects a changing of the guard that leaves Australia's 4x100m free quartet vulnerable even at Commonwealth level

Men 200m backstroke

Hayden Stoeckel added to his 50m backstroke win with victory in the 200m in 1:58.04. The 25-year-old coached by John Fowlie at the Canberra AIS centre and racing for Norwood, faded down the last length but had done enough to keep Ashley Delaney, 23 of Nunawading, at bay by 0.52sec. At the half-way turn, Stoeckel, on 56.05, had a 0.99sec advantage on Delaney, and increased his lead 1.4sec by the last turn. Down the last lap, as Stoeckel struggled, Delaney (Australian record holder on 1:55.82 in 2009) put in the only 50m split that was faster than the man on his way to the title, 31.01 to 31.89. Third place went to 19-year-old Braiden Camm, of Redlands, in 2:00.51, a best time 0.18sec inside a December 2009 effort.

The Times Transition (Aussie trials, 2008, 09, 10 and Rome 2009 top 2 Aussies):

  • 2008: 1:56.75; 1:57.53' 1:59.50 
  • 2009: 1:55.82; 1:57.38; 2:00.04
  • Rome 2009: 1:58.12 (p) 
  • 2010: 1:58.04; 1:58.56; 2:00.51

A couple of seconds will have to be shed by October if Delhi is going to deliver podium places in this event

Women 200m breaststroke

Leisel Jones laid down a marker for 2010 with the second-best time in the world this year (Olympic champ Rebecca Soni dipped below 2:23 last month), of 2:23.45, in the 200m breaststroke today. Taking her 21st national title, the 24-year-old coached by Rohan Taylor at Nunawading and 10 years past her Olympic debut, was never challenged, splitting 31.97, 1:08.35 and 1:45.29 before completing the job with some ease. Sarah Katsoulis, also with Taylor's programme, clocked a lifetime best of 2:25.35 (off a 1:10.37 split), a very encouraging effort for the 25-year-old who had a 2009 best of 2:26.09. Third place went to yet another teenager out to show that the heat is on for London 2012, Tessa Wallace, 16 and on 2:28.67. The time set by Katsoulis would have won her silver at the 2007 world championships behind Jones. Last year, that time would have managed 13th in the semis at Rome 2009 and placed her outside the top 30 in the world for 2009 alone - but then we all know why. Behind Wallace, more hope for Australia, with teenagers Rebecca Kemp, 17, on 2:29.87, and Emily Selig, 16, on 2:30.27.

The Times Transition (Aussie trials, 2008, 09, 10 and Rome 2009 top 2 Aussies):

  • 2008: 2:21.34; 2:25.70; 2:26.72
  • 2009: 2:25.88; 2:26.09; 2:26.37
  • Rome 2009: 2:27.03 (s); 2:27.32 (p)
  • 2010: 2:23.45; 2:25.35; 2:28.67

Jones, the woman breaststroke swimmer of the past decade, continues to be a magnet for higher standards

Men 50m Butterfly

He's back: 12 years after winning the Commonwealth 100m 'fly crown, 10 years after winning bronze in the 100m butterfly at the 2000 home Olympics in Sydney, and 9 years after winning the world 50m crown, Geoff Huegill, 31, stormed to the Aussie national title in the sprint 'fly with a 23.46sec blast that made him a Dolphin once more. He had qualified fastest for the final with his equal-second best time set in a textile suit. That time is just 0.02sec outside his lifetime best, the 23.44 that delivered the world crown at Fukuoka in 2001. Huegill is more than a second down on the 2009 world record pace but that gap reflects the use of suits now banned. Huegill grew up in textile briefs, and he is a racer who understands that swimming was just as thrilling in his first heyday, back in the days of Kuala Lumpur 1998, as it was in 2009. No relationship with plastic fantastic means no worries when it comes to measuring yourself against self and others. 

Andrew Lauterstein, in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics matching Huegill's 2000 achievement with bronze in the 100m 'fly, was second in 23.82. In Sydney 2010, he is feeding off the world according to Huegill's experience. On the eve of the nationals he said of his 100m target: "My goal is the 51.81 that Michael Klim and Geoff Huegill were swimming back in 2000.''

Huegill, known as Skippy, has shed enough weight during his comeback (45kg) to have a mini-me walk beside him. He is a role model for all those who think it too late for them to relive greatest times. You can learn more about him and what he gets up to on his website. The third berth for Australia in Delhi went to Mitchell Patterson, on 23.89. No others cracked 24sec.

"It's been a dream come true," Huegill told Tom Wald at AAP. "To come back from the position I was in, it's something I definitely don't take for granted. It's been well and truly worth all the pain. The emotions I feel today are well and truly on par with the way I felt 10 years ago when I stood behind the blocks at the Sydney Olympics."

Huegill figured he was about 85-90 per cent fit - and sent a warning to those heading to Delhi, including South African Roland Schoeman, the only man ever to crack 23 (22.96 on his way to the world title in Montreal 2005) in a textile suit. "23.44 is a pretty good world standard time at the moment, so my sights will definitely be coming away with a medal if not gold," said Huegill. "I'm happy to put that out there now. I love racing Roland and he's definitely going to be the man to beat, so it's going to be good to see how he goes now without his supersuit."

The Times Transition (Aussie trials, 2008, 09, 10 and Rome 2009 top 2 Aussies):

  • 2008: 23.51; 23.61; 24.12 
  • 2009: 23.34; 23.49; 23.62
  • Rome 2009: 22.72; 23.19 (p)
  • 2010: 23.46; 23.82; 23.89

This 2010 trials race proved not only what we knew about suits but that the shiny package did not make the contents tastier. The sport of swimming, with all the thrills and spills we have known for decades, lives and breaths again, an arena rich in the lore of athletic ability untainted by equipment.

Women 100m backstroke 

Just over an hour after claiming the 100m free crown, Emily Seebohm, coached by Matt Brown at Brothers, was racing towards a second title in the session, her 59.21 (not far from her 58.88 shiny suit Australian record) effort over 100m back coming off a 28.99 split that sealed the deal. Second went to Belinda Hocking, 19, on 1:00.11, and third to Sophie Edington, 25, on 1:01.20, which locked 18-year-old Grace Loh off the Games team by 0.14sec. All around Loh is evidence to show her why she should stick with it. There will be a brighter day.

The Times Transition (Aussie trials, 2008, 09, 10 and Rome 2009 top 2 Aussies):

  • 2008: 59.59; 59.84; 59.97
  • 2009: 59.85; 1:00.01; 1:00.27
  • Rome 2009: 58.88; 1:00.90 (p)
  • 2010: 59.21; 1:00.11; 1:01.20

Seebohm is racing a multi-event programme and doing so with great aplomb. Much more to come from a Dolphin about to turn shark

Men 100m breaststroke

Nothing close to 58.58 for Brenton Rickard but then no-one expected it to be. The world champion of 2009, coached by Glenn Baker at Southport, had one aim: to race to win - and he did just that, in 1:00.19, ahead of 1:00.91 for 200m world record holder of 2009 Christian Sprenger. Quality athletes and living proof of just how hard it is to crack the minute (five had done so by spring 2008... by August 2009 there were 27). Rickard, who turned in 28.46, to 28.78 for Sprenger, will be delighted with the win and has good reason to be delighted with the time too: it is almost as fast as his 2008 Olympic trials win and Aussie record of 1:00.04 and faster than he raced to win the 2009 crown (1:00.64) on his way to pulling on the 100% poly in Rome. The third place in the race for a date with Delhi went to 18-year-old Nicholas Schafer, on 1:02.40.

The Times Transition (Aussie trials, 2008, 09, 10 and Rome 2009 top 2 Aussies):

  • 2008: 1:00.04; 1:00.22; 1:00.92
  • 2009: 1:00.64; 1:00.64; 1:02.33
  • Rome 2009: 58.58; 59.98 (s)
  • 2010: 1:00.19; 1:00.91; 1:02.40

Not easy to crack the minute but Rickard is among those expected to do just that come the bigger day

Semi-finals

Eamon Sullivan remained at the top of the sprint heap after semis of the 100m freestyle, with a 49.35sec effort after 49.06 in morning prelims. As in so many events at these trials, teenagers are threatening the established order of things, good news for Austrtalian swimming. James Magnussen is just 18 and on a 49.54, ahead of Matthew Abood, on 49.65, with the last man into the final, Luke Kerswell, 18, on 49.95. A final field under 50sec, though none close to cracking 49sec. That contrasts with a qualification eight for Olympic finals in 2008 that stretched form 47.55 to 49.57, with four men inside 49sec.

In the women's 100m butterfly semis, Yolane Kukla, 14, recovered well enough from DQ in the 100m free to claim a place in the 100m butterfly final, on 1:00.31, the helm taken by Stephanie Rice and Jessica Schipper, respectively on 58.55 and 58.85, with Felicity Galvez on 59.52.

Championship results:

Official results in full

Championship coverage archive: 

Day 1

Day 2

Best Newspaper Coverage From Down Under:

The Australian

Plus online coverage

The Age

Biggest loser becomes biggest winner

Sydney Morning Herald

The significance of Seebohm

Telegraph

Party boy to player in the race pool once more