Australian Long Course Championships: Nick D’Arcy, Marieke Guehrer Set Australian Records in Controversial Day

SYDNEY, Australia, March 17. AFTER the controversy of the first world-record performance being stricken due to The Dubai Charter one-suit only ruling, swimmers returned to the pool to perform during day one finals of the Australian Long Course Championships.

Nick D'Arcy continued his redemption tour after being booted from the Australian Olympic Team due to legal troubles, as reported here, with an Australian record in the men's 200 fly finals. D'Arcy hit the wall in 1:54.46 to become the first Australian under 1:55 as he set the previous standard with a 1:55.10 back in 2008. Christopher Wright (1:56.81) and Lachlan Staples (1:57.53) rounded out the podium.

In finals action, Meagen Nay opened the evening with a battle against Olympic darling Stephanie Rice in the women's 200 free. Nay held off the hard-charging Rice, 1:57.90 to 1:57.98, while Ellen Fullerton rounded out the top three in 1:58.05. Robert Hurley completed the men's 400 free in a winning time of 3:46.64, while Ryan Napoleon (3:48.02) and Cameron Smith (3:51.45) placed second and third.

Rice bounced back in one of her signature events with a quick 2:11.00 to capture the women's 200 IM crown. Emily Seebohm placed second in 2:12.75, while Fullerton earned third in 2:14.16.

The foursome of Lloyd Townsing, Ryan Nolan, Justin Griggs and Cameron Prosser won the men's 400 free relay in 3:20.67.

In multi-disability events, Sara Bowen won the women's 100 breast in 1:49.20, while Blake Cochrane took the men's 100 breast in 1:23.09. Prue Watt clinched the women's 50 free in 27.73, while Matt Cowdrey snagged the men's 50 free in 25.68.

In semifinal action, Ben Treffers led men's 50 back qualifying in 25.10, while Marieke Guehrer topped the women's 50 fly with an Australian record of 25.76. The effort made her the first to crack 26 as she held the old record with a 26.01 set in February. Libby Trickett qualified second in 26.27. Additionally, Tarnee White posted the top women's 50 breast semi time with a 30.85 to head into finals as the top seed.

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