Australian Open Championships, Day One Preliminaries: Meg Harris Off To A Flyer Clocking 52.60 in the Opening 100m Freestyle Heat

Meg Harris legs-australian-championships

FLYING START: Racket Swim Team's Meg Harris off to a flying start with her personal best time of 52.60 in the heats of the 100m freestyle. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Australian Open Championships, Day One Preliminaries: Meg Harris Off To A Flyer Clocking 52.60 in the Opening 100m Freestyle Heat

Swimming Queensland’s prodigal daughter Meg Harris has set a cracking pace on opening morning of the 2024 Australian Open Swimming Championships, clocking 52.60secs, the fastest qualifier into the women’s 100m freestyle final on the Gold Coast tonight.

Harris’ time would have seen her take the bronze medal in the last two world championships in Fukuoka 2023 and Doha 2024.

The 22-year-old, now with coach Damien Jones and the Rackley Swim Team in Brisbane, returned to her home State last year, after a stint training in South Australia.

Born and bred in Mackay in Far North Queensland, Harris held off two-time world champion Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD, Coach Dean Boxall) who was second in 52.94.

Her time elevates her to the sixth fastest time by an Australian – past good friend, fellow Olympic relay gold medallist, Madi Wilson and former world record holder Libby Trickett.

In an all-star class, Olympic champion Emma McKeon (Griffith University, QLD) was next up, winning the second heat in 53.58 (fourth fastest) holding off four-time Olympian, Cate Campbell (Chandler, QLD; coach Maxine Seear) 53.86 (fifth fastest).

Heat three winner Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD, Coach Dean Boxall) clocked the third fastest time of the heats, 53.31 ahead of triple Olympian Bronte Campbell (Cruiz, ACT; Coach Shannon Rollason) 54.13.

The Top 10 Qualifiers for tonight’s women’s 100m freestyle:

Meg Harris (Rackley, QLD) 52.60
Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 52.94
Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) 53.31
Emma McKeon (Griffith University, QLD) 53.58
Cate Campbell (Chandler, QLD) 53.86
Brianna Throssell (St Peters Western, QLD) 53.96
Milla Jansen (Bond, QLD) 54.10
Bronte Campbell (Cruiz, ACT) 54.13
Nez Klancar (Slovenia) 54.39
Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 54.56

While tonight’s men’s 400 metres freestyle will be the battle between the last three world champions with world number one and Korea’s 2024 Doha world champion Woomin Kim the fastest qualifier in 3:44.75.

Just ahead of 2022 world champion from Budapest Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD; Coach Dean Boxall), who won the opening heat in 3:44.76 from 2023 world champion Sam Short (Rackley, QLD; Coach Damien Jones) 3:46.12.

LIVE RESULTS – 2024 AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS, GOLD COAST

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