Emily Seebohm is on fire at Aussie s/c nationals in Brisbane, her 56.58 victory in the 100m backstroke the first Aussie national record of the new textile suits era and just 0.02sec shy of the shiny suit Commonwealth record set by South African Channell Van Wyk last November. The time is 6th best ever and compares to the 56.51 at which Natalie Coughlin (USA) held the world s/c record on the eve of the shiny suits era.
Seebohm took the crown in 57.47 a year ago. This time round, she led at the 50m mark in 27.61, with Belinda Hocking following close behind on 27.99, Rachel Goh on 28.11 and Marieke Guehrer on 28.17. Down the third length, Seebohm extended her lead and Goh sneaked 0.01sec ahead of Hocking. Seebohm retained her crown off a 14.28sec last-length split, the quickest in the final, while Hocking got past Goh and Guerher catching as they raced for silver and shared bronze in 57.67 and 58.00 respectively. Seebohm was back in later to claim lane four for the final of the 100m free with a 53.48 effort.
If Seebohm's effort was a blast, then so too was a terrific 8:12.65 victory in the 800m freestyle by 18-year-old Katie Goldman. A best time by some 10secs and just 0.33 of a second off Kylie Palmer's Australian record from world s/c titles in 2008. Goldman had the edge on Blair Evans throughout the nailbiter that ended with Evans (great name for a distance battler) taking silver in 8:14.86. Those two efforts set the pace for the short-course 2010 world scene. The bronze went to Jessica Ashwood in 8:22.06.
Goldman's best had been an 8:22.93, 7th best Australian ever. Now she is No2 and 10th fastest all-time, only three of those efforts dating back before the shiny suits era. Evans had a best of 8:17.21 and is also now among the best 15 performers ever.
The men's 100m backstroke was almost as close, the crown going to Aussie record holder Ashley Delaney, in 51.41, 0.4sec up on Hayden Stoeckel, with Daniel Arnamnart taking bronze in 52.14, locking 18-year-old Ben Treffers off the podium by 0.17sec.
Christian Sprenger got the better of sparring partner Brenton Rickard, world l/c champ, in the 100m breaststroke, 58.75 to 59.14 after Rickard had had the edge by 0.06sec at the half-way mark. Not far behind the established international swimmers was 18-year-old Trinity Grammar's Kenneth To, on 59.70 and a man on the move: 1:00.33 was the best time he set in semis in Brisbane, after a 1:00.82 best last year.
In the men's 400m medley, Jayden Hadler, 16, stole the crown from Thomas Fraser-Holmes (last year's winner in 4:07.48) with a 4:07.06 effort that left him 0.44sec up on the defending champion. The race was tight throughout, Hadler best on 'fly, Fraser-Holmes breaking down a 1.17sec deficit and moving 0.05sec ahead on backstroke, before Hadler put in a breaststroke effort 1.41sec better than his rival could muster. Fraser-Holmes, 18, fought back with every passing stroke but the damage was done and the crown had a new king. The bronze went to another great teenage prospect, Daniel Tranter, on 4:09.29.
Leisel Jones out of the race after tumbling into her element before her time in heats, the 50m breaststroke title went to Leiston Pickett, 18, in 30.37, 0.4sec ahead of Sara Katsoulis, with bronze going to Sara Marson, on 31.18.
With international heavyweights Andrew Lauterstein and Geoff Huegill off best, the 100m 'fly crown went to Chris Wright in 51.17, with 19-year-old Daniel Lester second on 51.71, and Adam Pine, 34, on 51.82.
