Aussie Age Championships, Day Four: Barratt and Brennan Win Fourth Golds

PERTH, W. Australia, April 18. COFFS Harbour 13-year-old, Kate Brennan was the first Australian to touch in the women’s 100 meter backstroke final in a time of 1:05.70 to take her medal tally for the Championships to three but it wasn’t long before the teenager from the New South Wales North Coast was back on the gold medal podium with her fourth win of the meet.

Brennan took a commanding victory in the 13 years and under 50 meters freestyle touching in a time of 27.26 to surprise even herself and grab gold medal number four of the meet.

“I swam at Age Nationals last year and made two finals, and that taught me a lot but I have just been training hard and swimming well but I never expected to do as well as I’ve done,” Brennan said.

“I’ve still got two more swims to go so I hope I can swim well in those too and I know everyone at home is excited and I would just especially like to say hi to my friend Steph.”

Belinda Hocking of Benalla Victoria and Olivia Vorster from Arena, Western Australia both took silver in the sprint freestyle event, dead heating in a time of 27.72.

Albany Creek 15-year-old, Bronte Barratt swam strongly to also take out her fourth gold medal of the championships in the 200 meter freestyle final. But it was her time of 2:02.33 that would have pleased her coach John Rodgers and would have witnessed her make the final of the event at the Olympic Trials earlier this month.

“I am really pleased with my swimming this week, especially my 200 I.M, and now my freestyle was just as good so it’s a really exciting time,” Barratt said.

“I was trying to go that time at trials but I could only manage a 2:03, so I was a bit disappointed. So to do that here definitely makes up for it.”
The individual four gold medal tallies continued to rack up with Nu Swim teenager, Nic Donald continuing his great form at this meet taking out the men’s 15-years 200 meters freestyle final in style, stopping the clock in a time of 1:53.64, well ahead of Great Britain’s, Martin Handley (1:55.67) and Stephen Parkes (1:55.89) of SLC Aquadot.

It was an incredible final lap in the women’s 17-18 years 200 meters breaststroke final with a tight synchronised stroke duel between, Jacqueline Archer of Klim Swim Trojans and Queenslander, Rebecca Jones. It was Archer who prevailed by a fingernail on the touchpad in a time of 2:34.06 to take the win ahead of Jones 2:34.12 with Abbey Watt (2:35.98) of Kingscliff rounding out the podium placegetters.

The men’s 200 meter breaststroke featured an all star cast of Olympic Trial finalists and medal winners from a fortnight ago with the tightly bunched field witnessing Western Australian rising talent, Matthew Bullen taking the victory and proving he will be one to watch in the future after clocking a personal best performance of 2:16.93.

The Victorian Park 18-year-old finished fifth in the 200 meter Olympic Trials final and grabbed his first ever Australian Age gold ahead of Australian Championship bronze medallist, Rory Comerford of Melbourne Vicentre (2:17.84) with Commercial’s, Christian Sprenger taking the bronze in 2:19.42.

In the final event of the night, Athens Olympian Lara Carroll decimated her fellow rivals in her favoured 400 meter individual medley final, stopping the clock in an impressive, 4:44.52, only two seconds outside her personal best set at the Australian Championships under a fortnight ago.

More Winners on Day 4 finals included:

Women’s 14 years 200 meter medley Francesca Halsall (V) Great Britain 2:20.90
Angie Bainbridge, Hunter NSW 2:21.81

Men’s 14 years 200 meter medley Bobby Jovanovich, Brothers, QLD, 2:09.56

Men’s 13/U years 50 meter freestyle Kendall Ruthven, Central Aquatic, WA 25.30

Girls 16 years 100 meter breaststroke Lisa Hartmann Chandler, QLD 1:11.22

Men’s 16 years 100 meter breaststroke Bryan Luca Casey, VIC 1:05.92

Women’s 15-years 200 meter backstroke Stepahnie Proud (V) Great Britain 2:14.47
Siobhan Keane Commercial, QLD 2:17.95

Men’s 15-years 200 meter backstroke Daniel Coombs (V) Great Britain 2:08.60
Alexander Ross Cranbrook Eastern Edge, NSW 2:07.80

Women’s 13/U years 200 meter butterfly Megan Clements CQU Rocky City, QLD 2:22.57

Men’s 13/U years 200 meter butterfly Ryan Napoleon, QLD 2:13.71

–Courtesy, Australian Swimming

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