Australian Long Course Championships: Yolane Kukla Wins Second Title

By Ian Hanson

SYDNEY, Australia, March 20. AUSTRALIAN Swimming's latest wonderkid Yolane Kukla made up for her disqualification in the 100m earlier in the week with a stunning victory in the 50 metres freestyle final on night five of the Aussie Champs tonight.

It gives her a second gold after she claimed the 50m butterfly earlier in the week.

In a blanket finish "Yo Yo" stopped the clock at 25.08, clocking the fourth fastest time of the year with popular 2004 Olympic gold medallist Alice Mills earning herself a Commonwealth Games berth with a persevering silver medal swim of 25.13.

World championship and Olympic bronze medallist Cate Campbell had to settle for bronze again in 25.15 and will now have to earn a place on the team through the Pan Pacs in Irvine in August.

Meanwhile Olympic bronze medallist Andrew Lauterstein (51.79) grabbed the 100m butterfly with rising star Chris Wright (52.49) with the evergreen Adam Pine (52.57) third.

Pine, like Campbell is in the box seat to make his fifth Games team in Irvine.

Brenton Rickard won the 50m breaststroke in 27.40 from Christian Sprenger (27.93) and Karl Wurzer (28.40).

In a tight night's racing Belinda Hocking (2:07.89) edged out Australian record holder and fellow Olympic finalist Meagen Nay (2:08.02) with 100m backstroke-freestyle winner Emily Seebohm (2:08.19) third.

In the men's 100m backstroke Olympic bronze medallist Hayden Stoeckel (53.61) completed the treble ahead of Ashley Delaney (54.07) with Ben Treffers (55.00) the big improver.

The men's 50m freestyle final on the final night will be a cracker with dual Olympian Ashley Callus (22.16) leading the way from Cameron Prosser (22.36) who edged out defending champion Matthew Abood (22.39) Kyle Richardson (22.48) former world record holder Eamon Sullivan (22.61) Matt Targett (22.77) Hamish Rose (22.86) Steve Neuwert (22.87).

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