Missile and Rocket to lead Aussie arsenal

Swimming Victoria
Published: Mar 19, 2012 09:52:45 PM Updated: Apr 11, 2012 09:35:08 AM

Reigning world champion James ‘The Missile’ Magnussen has warned international competition to “brace themselves” ahead of the London Olympics after setting the fastest time in the world this year over the 100m freestyle at the 2012 EnergyAustralia Swimming Championships in Adelaide.

Magnussen’s time of 47.10 at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre pushed him to within 0.05 seconds of Eamon Sullivan’s Commonwealth record and ranks as the fourth fastest time in history.

“It was a really exciting race,” Magnussen said. “I executed everything pretty close to the way I wanted to. It wasn’t quite good enough tonight but I’ll definitely give that world record another crack.

“I’m certainly not going to be resting on my laurels and I’m going to be doing everything in my power to break that world record because I do want to be considered the fastest man in history.”

The EnergyAustralia Swim Team will not be short of firepower in London with James ‘The Rocket’ Roberts finishing second in 47.63 – the exact time in which Magnussen took out the 100m final at the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai.

“I’ve been training to go a lot quicker and I have been training well,” Roberts said. “It was just about doing what I’ve been doing at practice tonight, but it was a bit of a shock to look up and see how far under 48 [seconds] I went but it’s a great feeling.”

The 20-year-olds, who were born on the same day, will be considered for the 4x100m relay in London, along with Matt Targett (48.32), Eamon Sullivan (48.53), Cameron McEvoy (48.58) and Tommaso D’Orsogna (48.64).

Dual Olympian Jessicah Schipper booked a second individual swim in London after claiming the national 200m butterfly title for an eighth consecutive year.

Schipper (2:06.93) led from the start and could not be headed, comfortably touching ahead of Samantha Hamill (2:06.93), who is now off to her second Olympics after scraping through under the A-qualifying time by 0.03 seconds.

In a night for the favourites, Olympic silver medallist Brenton Rickard claimed his fifth national 200m breaststroke title in a time of 2:11.03, adding a second individual swim to his Olympic schedule following his selection in the 100m event on Friday.

Rickard, who placed second over 200m at the Beijing Olympics, took control of the race at the 50-metre mark from Jeremy Meyer (2:12.76), who narrowly beat Nicholas Schafer (2:12.96) to the wall for second place.

Meyer, who finished 1.02 seconds outside the A-qualifying mark, must now wait until Thursday to discover whether he will be selected for his first Olympic squad.

In other events…

Women’s 100m freestyle

Olympic bronze medallist Cate Campbell has maintained pole position for the hotly contested women’s 100m freestyle final after clocking an impressive 53.84 – the fourth fastest time in the world this year. Despite her imposing time, Campbell is not yet in the clear, with less than one second separating all eight finalists. It will be a tussle for the title with dual Olympic medallist Melanie Schlanger second fastest through in 53.91. Comeback queen Libby Trickett (54.19) is on track for a third Olympic appearance after qualifying fifth fastest while defending champion Alicia Coutts (54.11) has qualified in third place.

Women’s 200m Breaststroke

Sally Foster has booked Lane 4 for the final of the 200m breaststroke after recording a semi-final time of 2:27.92. Foster, who led the quicker of the two semi-finals, finished ahead of 16-year-old young gun Taylor McKeown and world championship silver medallist Sarah Katsoulis who finished equal second in 2:28.61. Lurking in the shadows is three-time Olympic gold medallist Leisel Jones, who won the other semi-final and claimed the fifth quickest time of 2:29.21.

Women’s 100m Freestyle Multi Class

Beijing Paralympian Jacqueline Freney has set a provisional world record en route to claiming the women’s 100m freestyle multi class title. The 19-year-old finished the two laps in 1:08.03, taking victory ahead of Taylor Corry (1:02.05) with defending champion Kayla Clarke (1:02.47) placing third to collect her fourth medal of the championships.

Men’s 200m Backstroke

Victorian teammates Matson Lawson (1:58.53) and Josh Beaver (1:59.03) have recorded the two quickest times in the men’s 200m backstroke leading into tomorrow night’s final. Australian record holder Ashley Delaney was only a fraction off the pace in 1:59.20 with hometown hero Hayden Stoeckel (1:59.53) also making it through in an effort to secure his fourth Australian title in the event.

Men’s 200m IM

Commonwealth Games representative Jayden Hadler (1:59.69) will be the one to catch in the final of the men’s 200m IM after posting an A-qualifying time in his semi-final. Daniel Tranter (1:59.88), who is already off to London following his second placing in the 400m IM, also went under the two-minute barrier to qualify second. Commonwealth Games relay gold medallist Thomas Fraser-Homes (2:00.12) clocked the third fastest time ahead of triple Junior Pan Pacific gold medallist Kenneth To (2:00.87). Commonwealth record holder for this event, Leith Brodie (2:02.47), and dual Olympian Travis Nederpelt (2:02.53) will also progress to tomorrow night’s final.

Men’s 100m Freestyle MC

IPC World Championship silver medallist Daniel Fox has taken out the men’s 100m freestyle final in a time of 54.38. Fox was pushed all the way by eight-time Olympic gold medallist Matt Cowdrey, who set a provisional world record of 55.20 and his first PB in the event for four years with Tim Antalfy claiming bronze in a time of 52.93.

VIC Watch.

Belinda Parslow, Belinda Bennett, Ellese Zalweski and Samantha Bennett take the gold for Nunawading in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay in a time of 8:14.43. 

Swimming Victoria Gold Squad member Karlene Pircher will join Sarah Katsoulis in the final of the women’s 200m breaststroke after qualifying eighth in a time of 2:30.61.   

Nunawading’s Travis Mahoney will swim alongside Matson Lawson, Joshua Beaver and Ashley Delaney in the men’s 200m backstroke final.  The 21 year-old posted a 2:00.68 to qualify as the seventh fastest swimmer in what promises to be an exciting race. 

Commonwealth Games relay gold medallist Kelly Stubbins finished 10^th in the women’s 100m freestyle semi final’s in a time of 54.61. 

2008 Paralympics silver medallist Ellie Cole finished fifth in the women’s 100m freestyle Multi Class final in a time in 1:03.73

CA Tritons’ Sam Bramham touches the wall in 58.21 to be ranked eighth in the men’s 100m freestyle Multi Class event.