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Great Swimming Leads To Unprecedented Demand For Seats
May 18, 2000 - Paul Quinlan
News Item:
Australian Swimming has requested SOCOG and the Olympic Co-ordination Authority to make a further 2,000 seats available in the pool for the seventh and eighth sessions of the meet due to the unprecedented demand.
This will bring seating capacity for the last two days up to 12,000. The hottest events on those two days will be the men's 100m Butterfly Friday at 6:30 pm and the Men's 1500m Freestyle Saturday at 3:00 pm.
| Records at Meet to Day Six | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Thorpe | WR | Men's 400m Freestyle | 3:41.33 | Final | 13 May 2000 |
| Geoff Huegill | WR | Men 50m Fly | 23.60 | Final | 14 May 2000 |
| Ian Thorpe | WR | Men's 200m Freestyle | 1:45.69 | SemiFinal 1 | 14 May 2000 |
| Ian Thorpe | WR | Men's 200m Freestyle | 1:45.51 | Final | 15 May 2000 |
| Susan O'Neill | WR | Women's 200m Butterfly | 2:05.81 | Final | 17 May 2000 |
| Susan O'Neill | CR | Women's 100m Freestyle | 54.86 | Relay | 13 May 2000 |
| Michael Klim | CR | Men's 100m Freestyle | 48.56 | Final | 17 May 2000 |
| WR | 2:23.64 | Penelope Heyns | RSA | Sydney | 27 Aug 1999 |
| CR | 2:23.64 | Penelope Heyns | RSA | Sydney | 27 Aug 1999 |
| AR | 2:24.76 | Rebecca Brown | AUS | Brisbane | 16 Mar 1994 |
The field is very even at the start and thru the first 25m with no swimmer standing out. Rebecca Brown made a strong stroke into the wall to turn in 33.63 with Samantha Riley closest in 33.94 and Leisel Jones next in 34.01. Five others were less than a second back.
The former record holder, Brown, was looking much better than she did in the prelims and semis. She took the field thru the 100m turn in 1:11.74, with Samantha making a valiant effort after her recent illness to hold on to second at halfway. Third was Caroline Hildreth with a time of 1:11.91.
Hildreth made her move in the third fifty and Jones coming from 6th at the 100 went with her. They turned in that order at 150m 1:49.33 and 1:50.29 . Brown had been passed and was third with Riley fourth and Brooke Hanson fifth.
Caroline Hildereth an AIS swimmer, coached by Barry Prime, was headed for home and a place on the team with a determined fourth lap. Rebecca Brown, now in Melbourne with her original coach Michael Piper, came back from her third position at 150 to move up to second place, completing her comeback by placing on the Olympic team.
Young Scarborough swimmer Leisel Jones, 2:29.74, who won the 100m earlier in the meet finished in the bronze position; Brooke Hanson was fourth placed with 2:29.79. All four being under the Olympic qualifying time.
Asked about missing in the 100m Caroline responded a little hurt: "I'm a 200 swimmer, not a 100 swimmer. Bec(Brown) says the 200 is ours and she's right."
My coach, Barry Prime, has been telling me for a year that I could do that time and I did. I'm just happy that I did it when it counted."
The world record holder from 1994 Rebecca Brown : "I can't believe it. I've only been back in training just over a year,; it's amazing to be back on the team."
| WR | 54.01 | Jingyi LE | CHN | Rome | 05 Sep 1994 |
| CR | 54.86 | Susan O'Neill | AUS | Sydney | 07 Sep 2000 |
| AR | 54.86 | Susan O'Neill | AUS | Sydney | 07 Sep 2000 |
Atlanta Olympian, Sarah Ryan was favourite following the withdrawal of Susan O'Neill before the prelims.
Sarah, 55.48, did not disappoint herself or supporters by leading all the way, to be the only qualifier out of the final.
Rooney's second place time, 56.19 was not enough for the Olympic A qualifying time.
Susan O'Neill however has the fastest time from the meet with a new CW record of 54.86, well under the Olympic time.
On her performance Sarah Ryan said : "Training with Gennadi Touretski, I've learn't to be a different swimmer, more professional. With Michael Klim and Alex Popov on the team it's such a good experience for me. I keep improving in leaps and bounds."
| WR | 1:55.87 | Lenny Krayzelburg | USA | Sydney | 27 Aug 1999 |
| CR | 1:59.08 | Ray Hass | AUS | Sydney | 26 Aug 1999 |
| AR | 1:59.08 | Ray Hass | AUS | Sydney | 26 Aug 1999 |
South African born Commonwealth record holder, Ray Hass, was into his stroke ahead of the field and hit the first turn in 27.98, newcomer Ross Powells followed 0.21 away and Cameron Delaney completed the leading trio in 28.29. Matt Welsh the 100m champion was content to be in fourth place at this early stage of the event and only 0.07 behind Delaney.
Coming strongly off the wall Ray Hass led into the second fifty and remain ahead as they went into their second turns. Hass 58.55, Delaney moving up to be second 58.85, Powells dropping back to third in 58.94 and Welsh still sitting in fourth with a 59.18.
Second half of the race it was Welsh who took over and moved right up to lead with a 150m in 1:29.54. Delaney was close in 1:29.61 and Powells was now fourth.
Welsh with his superior speed and having swum with the best tactics went to the wall a clear winner in 1:59.22. The Galston club swimmer, Cameron Delaney, held his second place and will go the Games in his national team colours.
Regrettably, the record holder, Ray Hass, did not come thru with the promise he has shown last year and Josh Watson was uncharacteristically further back in 2:02.40.
Oddly enough the winner said: " I didn't think I'd win it because I went to fast, but I'm stoked. It's the first time win in this event at nationals, and now I get another swim at the Olympics."
| WR | 1:58.16 | Jani Sievinen | FIN | Rome | 11 Sep 1994 |
| CR | 2:00.26 | Matt Dunn | AUS | Kuala Lumpur | 17 Sep 1998 |
| AR | 2:00.26 | Matt Dunn | AUS | Kuala Lumpur | 17 Sep 1998 |
Young AIS swimmer Grant McGregor was away fast in the fly leg going to the wall in 26.33, Robert van der Zant followed in 26.55, then Zane King with 26.58 and the record holder Matt Dunn in fourth after the fly leg.
Van der Zant showed strength in his backstroke leg to lead at the 100m mark in 56.80, McGregor was second in 57.48 with King still third in 57.72. The veteran Olympian Dunn was still back fourth.
McGregor with a strong breaststroke leg went ahead and Dunn who historically has a best back half to his medley moved thru the field and was second at the 150m. Third was van der Zant and King fourth.
Experience and good freestyle technique brought Dunn home for a most important win giving him the two medley swims in September.
Rob van der Zant who was third at the last turn, and having missed Atlanta selection swam with great determination to take the second Olympic spot. Dunn 2:01.28 and van der Zant 2:01.47.
The promising young Grant McGregor missed Olympic selection by less than half a second with his 2:01.96. Fourth was Justin Norris who was so impressive in his 400m IM win and second in the 200m Fly.
Matt Dunn after a hard day at the office taking out his seventh national title in the 200 IM: "It was just a matter of consolidating all the work I had done. I knew it was going to be really tough between four or five guys. I really had to be on my guard tonight."
Rob van der Zant on making Sydney after the disappointment of missing Atlanta: "I had the best lead in ever; getting along really well with my brother Rick, his coach. We've worked as a good team and it paid off."
Dyana Calub is first qualifier for the final with 2:14.81, Clementine Stoney second with 2:15.34.
World record holder Michael Klim goes into the final fastest with 52.22, Geoff Huegill is on 52.67, Adam Pine 52.94 and Scott Miller 52.95 - four under 53.00, a high standard for any nation going into the Olympics in four months.
Phil Rogers 29.02 and Steven McBrien lead the qualifiers for the final.
Michael Klim scratched from this event. Hawke 22.40 and Fydler 22.43 are fastest into the final.
Petria Thomas coached by Mark Regan at the AIS swam a new CR 26.78 in semi-final one.
