Brooke’s Look at Day Five Australian Swimming Championships

By Brooke Hanson (Olympic gold and silver medallist)

SYDNEY, Australia, March 20. A relaxed Leisel Jones and an angry Andrew Lauterstein shone through with world class times as 14-year-old Yolane Kukla continued her dominance of the sprint events on night five of the Australian swimming Championships.

Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Lauterstein started the night off with a bang recording the fastest time of the world this year 51.79 (23.76, 28.03) and I can tell you he was absolutely pumped.

Swimming from lane two he was out to prove that he is one of the best 100 butterfliers in the world.

After looking sluggish all week he fired up, got angry then flew off the blocks and stormed away from the field in the second 50m.

Finishing in second place was World championship team member Chris Wright (52.49), with veteran butterflier 34-year-old Adam Pine (52.57) finishing in third from lane one.

Pine qualified for the Pan Pacific Championships and has given himself another chance to swim at a remarkable fifth Commonwealth Games.

It was the third year in a row that Andrew Lauterstein has won the event and you couldn't take the smile off his face.

"Tonight I just came out forgot about the technical things and let it happen, that time is under Michael Klim's old world record and I couldn't be happier," he said

"To match it with (Michael) Phelps I need to work on my back end second 50 in this next preparation as I know I can get out as fast as him in the first 50 and then it's just about holding on."

Phelps and Lauterstein will race each other at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine California in August.

Women's 100m breaststroke

It was the 10th time Leisel Jones 1.05.79 (31.09) had won the event.

Jones has been the dominant breaststroke force at the Australian championship for a decade, tonight's win making it her 22nd Australian title.

Recording the fastest time in the world this year Jones was having fun – she looked relaxed and happy.

After taking 2009 off racing at an international level Jones wasn't that far off her 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medal winning time of 1.05.17.

The silver medal went to rising star Samantha Marshall (who is the grand daughter of former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser) who clocked 1.07.45 to join the list of Australian team rookies, the teenager swam another personal best to qualify for her first Australian team with 200m silver medallist Sarah Katsoulis (1.07.89) finishing with the bronze medal.

After the race Jones spoke about her form this week;

"I have to admit my stroke has been really off this week, it's been pretty horrendous. I've been trying to work hard but it just hasn't happened," said Jones.

"Going back into training for this next preparation we will be working on stroke and technique and hopefully getting it right,"

The closest in the world to Jones so far this year is USA breaststroker Rebecca Soni (1.06.43).

With Jones saying that she is not in good form the girls racing at the Pan Pacific championships better be ready for Jones to step it up to another level.

Women's 50m freestyle

You could have put your house on 14-year-old Yolane Kukla to cause a huge upset and I was right.

The Brisbane high school student backed up her win in the 50m butterfly with another win tonight with the fourth fastest time in the world this year.

Kukla exploded off the blocks (legally this time) with the fastest reaction time of the field 0.65 to lead the one lap dash from start to finish stopping the clock at 25.08 beating Olympian's Alice Mills (25.13) and Cate Campbell (25.15).

Mills the 2004 Olympic gold medallist in the 4×100 freestyle relay showed that the move to train with Ian Thorpe's former coach Tracey Menzies has paid off with an individual swim as well as a relay position in the 4×100.

Campbell the Olympic bronze medallist in the 50 will swim at the Pan Pacific Championships where she will have another chance to qualify for the Commonwealth Games.

The girl that the Australian public had n ever heard of last week got a huge cheer from the crowd as she "promised to make it through her interview without crying."

"The last 15 metres hurt so much so I just powered to the wall to try and get a good finish," said Kukla after winning her second national title

"I false started in the 100 final and was getting a bit nervous with my starts but that one felt really good and I have confidence back now and although I was disappointed with my 100 it's great to win the 50.

"It's so special to be on the team it's been a crazy week and I want to thank my family and friends for their support I'm so glad I can finish the week on a good note" said Kukla, who joins Ian Thorpe, Leisel Jones and Emily Seebohm as one of Australia's youngest representatives of the last 20 years.

Kukla has already taken some tips from the former champion Libby Trickett who has been in the commentary box this week.

Libby believes that Kukla and herself have a lot of similarities including height and power to weight ratio.

Libby says can improve on her under water work and efficiency. But at only 14 the new star of the pool has a huge future ahead of her and a lot of time to work on her skills.

Women's 200m backstroke

The closest 200 race of the week witnessed three Olympians going stroke for stroke the entire race.

The Beijing Olympic finalist and defending champion Belinda Hocking 2.07.89 (30.28, 1.02.18, 1.34.77) only just held on to win the gold medal.

Hocking tightened up in the last 10 metres holding off the fast finishing Australian record holder Meagen Nay (2.12.51) with the early leader, in form Emily Seebohm (2.08.02) finishing third with a two second personal best time.

Women's 400m freestyle

Defending champion Bronte Barratt clocked a stunning 4.05.50 (28.70, 59.42, 2.01.81, 3.03.69) won the event swimming 0.7 quicker than this year's world's best set by Italian Federica Pellegrini (4.05.57).

Barratt showed the big move from Queensland to Canberra to also train with Tracey Menzies at the Australian Institute of Sport is working well.

The Olympic finalist in this event looked back to her best winning the eight-lap event ahead of her Olympic gold medal relay teammate from the 4×200 Kylie Palmer (4.06.36) with 800m freestyle winner Katie Goldman (4.07.76) in third.

In the 800m it was Goldman (8.22.83) the winner of six medals at the 2009 Youth Olympics who swam an 11 second personal best to win her first Australian Championship.

Goldman's impressive time made her the second fastest Australian of all time and not even she could believe her world class time looking at the score board in shock.

The 17 year-old university student who recorded the fastest 800 freestyle in the world this year is coached by Denis Cotterell the former coach of distance champion Grant Hackett.

Goldman beat defending champion Blair Evans (8.25.74) and Palmer (8.29.57).

Men's 200m IM

World Championship finalist Leith Brodie clocked the fastest time in the world this year with his 1:59.60 to beat 400Im winner Thomas Fraser-Holmes (1:59.60) with Tommaso D'Orsogna third in 2:00.90.

Brodie joined the Michael Bohl squad after his coach John Rodgers left to take up a position in Canada and the move has already paid off.

Well done to the quiet achiever of the Dolphins team.

Men's 50m breaststroke

For the seventh year in a row Brenton Rickard (27.40) won the event by half a second, the 2009 World champion and world record holder in the 100m breaststroke was too strong for fellow Queenslander Christian Sprenger (27.93) with third place going to Karl Wurzer (28.40).

Rickard's time is the fastest time in the world this year tomorrow night he will go for a clean sweep of the breaststroke events in the 200 metres.

Women's 50m backstroke

Backing up after her bronze medal in the 200m backstroke final Emily Seebohm (27.95) won her third gold of the championships in the women's 50m backstroke.

Former world record holder Sophie Edington (28.20) finished second and has a chance of defending her Commonwealth Games title from Melbourne in 2006 with Melbourne teenager Grace Loh (28.52) keeping her fingers crossed for selection on the Pan Pacific Games team

Men's 100m backstroke

Not even an injured wrist could stop Hayden Stoeckel 53.61 (26.03) in the men's 100m backstroke. Stoeckel's win made it a clean sweep of the backstroke events at these championships. He showed that the move to train at the Australian Institute of Sport has paid off with an outstanding week of racing. Teammate from the AIS and fellow Olympian Ashley Delaney (54.07) finished second with Ben Treffers (55.00) in third place.

Semi Final

Men's 50m freestyle

The fastest qualifier for the men's 50m freestyle final is triple Olympian 31 year old Ashley Callus (22.16) ahead of Cameron Prosser (22.36), Kyle Richardson (22.48) with New South Wales Institute of Sport training partners Matthew Abood (22.39) and Eamon Sullivan (22.61) qualifying in fourth and fifth position. My money is on Callus with Sullivan and Abood making up the top three positions.

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