Sydney Open: Doha Experiments Have ‘The Professor’ Cam McEvoy Seeking A Simple Solution For Paris

SIMPLE SOLUTION FOR PARIS: Cam McEvoy knows what he has to do in pursuit of elusive Olympic gold. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

SYDNEY OPEN: Doha Experiments Have “The Professor” Cam McEvoy Seeking A Simple Solution For Paris

Swimming’s current fastest man in the world, Australia’s Cam McEvoy knows what he has to do in pursuit of a slice of history in Paris this year after continuing his Olympic build up, clocking 21.91 to win the 50m freestyle in Sydney tonight.

No Australian has ever won the 50m freestyle at an Olympic Games since American Matt Biondi won the first title in Seoul in 1988 – in fact the Aussies have never won a medal in nine Olympic contests.

After the experiments of Doha at this year’s World Championships, the man they call “The Professor” has come up with a simple solution for Paris, “just get your hand on the wall first.”

THE APPRENTICE: Josh Conias wins 100 free 16 years 2024 Australian Age Photo Courtesy Rebecca Ohlwein (SWIMMING AUSTRALIA)

McEvoy, coached by the astute Tim Lane at Brisbane’s Somerville House School, admits his Doha experiments of pushing too hard in the heat and semi-final found him wanting in the 50m freestyle final, won by the Ukraine’s Vladyslav Bukhov.

The world’s number one swam 21.13 in the heat in Doha, a time that is still the fastest time in the world this season, followed by 21.23 in the semi-final and 21.45 in the final – just 0.01 slower than Bukhov – with lessons learnt.

Admitting he bit off more than even he could chew – when you add three 50m butterflys into the mix with two 21 lows in the heat and semi and coming into the final, he says he was “neurally fatigued.”

McEvoy will be a year older come Monday (when he turns the ripe old age of 30) and he knows he will also be a year wiser, saying, “Paris is not about the times, it’s about getting your hand on the wall first.”

And you get the feeling “The Professor” is done experimenting – it’s time to get the job done.

McEvoy was all class and power winning the 50m freestyle final on the opening night of the Sydney Open UniSport Nationals ahead of his exciting fellow Somerville House, QLD, teenage training partner – 16-year-old Joshua Conias (22.35) and Will Yang (SOPAC, NSW) 22.45.

And McEvoy, Conias and the 50m freestylers will contest another 50m freestyle challenge race on night two of the meet, which will assimilate race practice of a heat, semi and final over two days.

His 16-year-old teammate Conias will also get another crack at the 16 years “World record” and Australian record tomorrow night – just two days before he turns 17 – the world best time for a 16-year-old stands at 22.22 to Romania’s 100m freestyle world record holder David Popovici set in 2021 and the Australian mark at 22.33 to Olympic and world champion Kyle Chalmers from 2015.

Conias has twice swum 22.35 this season– first clocking the time in the 16 years Australian Age Championship final on the Gold Coast in April.

“Hopefully the planets will be aligned for him,” said McEvoy.

And there was a world class show-stopper in the men’s 200m IM with world champions, Daiya Seto (JPN) 1:56.99 taking the win from New Zealand star Lewis Clareburt 1:57.55 with Victorian Olympic hopeful William Petric (Nunawading, VIC) producing a personal best of 1:58.05 – to make him the seventh fastest all-time Australian.

Meanwhile three finals – the women’s 400m freestyle and the men’s 100m breaststroke and 200m backstroke saw all three placegetters in each race test the electronic timing.

ELLA-UVA FINISH: Ella Ramsay is in impressive form. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia.

Chandler’s rising all-rounder Ella Ramsay won the women’s 400m freestyle in 4:11.49 – just 0.06 ahead of New Zealand Olympian Caitlin Deans in 4:11.55, who out-touched Chandler’s dual Olympian, Leah Neale by the barest of margins, just 0.01 behind in 4:11.56.

It was Ramsay who led throughout, splitting 59.73 and 2:03.26 before Deans and Neale stormed home – Dean’s final 50m in 31.02 and Neale clocking 30.09.

The form stroke boys didn’t disappoint either with just 0.22 separating the top three in the 200m backstroke – New Zealand Olympian Kane Follows winning the touch in 1:58.56 from NSW’s Bradley Woodward (Mingara Aquatic, NSW), just 0.11 behind in 1:58.67 for second and Enoch Robb (All Saints, QLD) just another fingernail back in 1:58.78 for third.

The men’s 100m breaststroke saw 200m Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook, swimming for the Griffith University team in the UniSport Nationals produce his trademark big finish to grab the win in 1:00.21.

Just 0.45 ahead of Chandler, QLD-based training partner Bailey Lello (1:00.66), with Irish international Darragh Greene only 0.18 back for third in 1:00.84.

Stubblety-Cook was out in 28.69, third behind Haig Buckingham (SOPAC, NSW) 28.50 and Lello 28.61 but powered home in 31.52 – the only swimmer under 32 seconds in the backend.

It was another strong performance from Stubblety-Cook after his 100-200m double at the Australian Open as he eyes the 50m breaststroke today and tomorrow’s 200m up against rising star Lello and another fellow Olympian and another former world record holder in Matthew Wilson (SOPAC, NSW).

Meanwhile Carlile’s Olivia Wunsch returned to racing after her impressive Australian Age meet to win the women’s 50m freestyle, clocking 24.78 to finish ahead of Japanese Olympian Inoeborg Loeyning (25.03) and South Australia Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 25.09.

WINNERES ARE GRINNERS: Olivia Wunsvh (Carlile). Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia

And Chandler’s Commonwealth champion Lizzie Dekkers (2:06.47) was impressive in winning the 200m butterfly from local girl Bella Grant (Australian Catholic University, NSW) 2:08.92 with the ever-present Castelluzzo third in 2:11.29.

The men’s world number two Matt Temple (Marion, SA) continued his solid form as Australia’s number one butterflyer, winning the 100m in 51.72 from Shaun Champion (University of Technology, Sydney, NSW) 51.99 and Harrison Turner (Nudgee College, QLD) 52.64.

With world champion Paralympic medallist Timothy Hodge (Western Sydney University, NSW) winning the Multi-Class 100m butterfly in 1:00.89 from Liam Schluter(USC Spartans, QLD) 58.37 with the multi-talented Declan Budd (Knox Pymble, NSW) 59.76 in third.

And in the 200m freestyle Multi-Class for women saw Jade Lucy (Southern Sydney Swim Team, NSW) in 2:126.64 take the gold from Chloe Osborn (ACU Blacktown Swim Club, NSW) 2:36.31with Madeleine McTernan (Sharks Aquatics, QLD) 2:17.30 in third.

World Championship and Commonwealth Games relay gold medallist, Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) proved too strong over 400m, winning in 3:52.21 – the world junior champion over 200m freestyle powering away from visiting Dutch swimmer Luc Kroon (3:57.58) with Koby Bujak-Upton (Knox Pymble, NSW) 3:58.42, third.

2024 Sydney Open UniSport Nationals, Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, Finals:

MEN

50m freestyle

Cam McEvoy (Somerville House, QLD) 21.91
Joshua Conias (Somerville House, QLD) 22.35
Will Yang (SOPAC, NSW) 22.40

400m freestyle

Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 3:52.21
Luc Kroon (NED) 3:57.58
Koby Bujak-Upton (Knox Pymble, NSW) 3:58.42
Enoch Robb (All Saints, QLD) 1:58.78

200m freestyle Multi-Class

Liam Schluter (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:55.94
Ricky Betar (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:58.70
Declan Budd (Knox Pymble, NSW) 2:00.39

200m backstroke

Kane Follows (NZL 1:58.56
Bradley Woodward (Mingara Aquatic, NSW) 1:58.67
Enoch Robb (All Saints, QLD) 1:58.78

100m breaststroke

Zac Stubblety-Cook (Griffith University, QLD) 1:00.21
Bailey Lello (Chandler, QLD) 1:00.66
Darragh Greene (IRE) 1:00.84

100m butterfly

Matt Temple (Marion, SA) 51.27
Shaun Champion (University of Technology, Sydney, NSW) 51.99
Harrison Turner (Nudgee College, QLD) 52.64

100m butterfly Multi Class

Timothy Hodge (Western Sydney University, NSW) 1:00.89
Liam Schluter(USC Spartans, QLD) 58.37
Declan Budd (Knox Pymble, NSW) 59.76

200IM

Daiya Seto (JPN) 1:56.99
Lewis Clareburt (NZL) 1:57.55
William Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 1:58.05

WOMEN

50m freestyle

Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) 24.78
Rikako Ikee (JPN) 25.03
Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 25.09

400m freestyle

Ella Ramsay (Chandler, QLD) 4:11.49
Caitlin Deans (NZL) 4:11.55
Leah Neale (Chandler, QLD) 4:11.56

200m freestyle Multi-Class

Jade Lucy (Southern Sydney Swim Team, NSW) 2:126.64
Chloe Osborn (ACU Blacktown Swim Club, NSW) 2:36.31
Madeleine McTernan (Sharks Aquatics, QLD) 2:17.30

50m backstroke

(NOR) 28.44
Layla Day (Bond, QLD) 28.74
Gemma Cooney (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 28.92

200m breaststroke

Hayley MacKinder (Griffith University SC) 2:29.17
Mikayla Smith (Griffith University SC) 2:31.28
Kalyce Pressler (University of Adelaide, SA) 2:33.17

200m butterfly

Lizzie Dekkers (University of Queensland, QLD) 2:06.47
Bella Grant (Australian Catholic University, NSW) 2:08.92
Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 2:11.29

100m butterfly Multi Class

Poppy Wilson (Yeronga Park, QLD) 1:08.73
Taylor Corry (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins, NSW) 1:10.45
Emily Beecroft (University Sunshine Coast, QLD) 1:09.58

200m IM

Sophie Martin (Somerville House, QLD) 2:16.88
Emily White (University of South Australia, SA) 2:19.58
Lexi Harrison (Australian Catholic University, Blacktown Swim Club, NSW) 2:19.95

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use