Brooke’s Look at Day Two Australian Swimming Championships

SYDNEY, Australia, March 18. Australia's newest teenage swim star Yolane Kukla will challenge for title number two when she lines up for the 100m freestyle final on night three of the 2010 Australian Swimming Championships at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

Olympic medallist Brooke Hanson, who has followed Kukla's career closely since last year's National Age Championships, believes it is not beyond Kukla to win gold medal number two.

The 14-year-old former gymnast from Brisbane became Australia's latest teenage wonderkid when she upset Marieke Guehrer to win the 50m butterfly on night two, is the third fastest qualifier for the 100m freestyle final which saw Olympian Cate Campbell miss the final.

Brooke reports on an exciting second night of finals and semi-finals and says last night's win will give her enormous confidence boost.

Tonight's finals also sees NSWIS comeback king Geoff Huegill on song for a place on his fourth Commonwealth Games team.

Women's 50m butterfly
Night two of the Australian Swimming Championships saw the arrival of a new sensation to the Australian swimming team in 14-year-old Yolane Kukla. The girl from sunny Queensland blew everyone away including herself winning the 50m butterfly in a world-class time of 25.92.

Swimming in her first Australian Open Championships the powerfully strong Kukla exploded off the blocks with the fastest reaction time of the field (0.67). Kukla went on to swim an amazing race breaking the twenty-six second barrier and recording the second fastest time of all time by an Australian.

Her time ranks her second fastest in the world this year behind Sweden's Therese Alshammar (25.60) who posted a quicker time at the New South Wales State championships in February and 16th all time – and one of the fastest ever textile suit swims.

It is incredible to think she clocked a time faster than US legend Jenny Thompson and Australia's own Libby Trickett and 2005 World Champion Danny Miatke.

The Year 10 student came into the championships with no expectations, just wanting to swim a personal best time. The teenager trained by Michael Palfrey under head coach Michael Bohl caused a huge upset defeating 2009 World Champion Marieke Guehrer (26.28) and Olympian Emily Seebohm (26.47).
"I'm really shocked I didn't even think I'd go to the Commonwealth Games," an overwhelmed Kukla said in her post race interview.

"Thanks mum and thanks Mick for being such an awesome coach… thanks so much for supporting me mum," said the teary teen as she waved to her mum in the stands. "I did gymnastics for five years then I got a really bad knee injury, I built into swimming and have been doing it competitively for two years now."

The change of sport has paid off with Kukla tonight booking her seat to the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships.

Women's 100m freestyle semifinal

Yolane Kukla, better known as "Yo Yo" and as a freestyler, kept bouncing around the pool when she backed up her win in the 50m butterfly qualifying in third place for the final of the women's 100m freestyle swimming with a time of 55.06.

But the shock news came from semi final number two with Cate Campbell (55.47) Olympic bronze medallist in the 50m freestyle failing to make the final. Campbell, who has always had problems doing enough work for the 100, because of chronic hip problems, led the field through the first 50 in 26.30 but faded over the last 15 metres finishing equal ninth.

It is certainly not the final any of the experts predicted and will see a whole new 400m freestyle relay line up in this year's international meets.

Those making the top eight final positions included medley specialist Alicia Coutts (54.95), backstroke specialist Emily Seebohm (55.01), 14 year old Kukla (55.06), breaststroke specialist Sally Foster (55.08) and 2004 Olympic gold medallist in the 4×100 freestyle relay Alice Mills (55.33), Angie Bainbridge (55.40) and the experienced Kelly Stubbins (55.41). It's anyone's race in the final but my money is on the youngster Kukla.

Women's 50m Breaststroke
Tonight also witnessed the return of breaststroke star Leisel Jones (30.87) who won her 20th Australian title since 2000. Jones was back to her best winning the women's 50m breaststroke ahead of another new comer Leiston Pickett (31.06) with training partner and defending champion Sarah Katsoulis (31.12) finishing third. Jones the 2008 Olympic Games champion in the 100m breaststroke took a year off international racing in 2009 to focus on her study as a beautician, tonight she looked relaxed and happy to be back.

Jones qualified for her third Commonwealth Games team and is excited about competing at the Pan Pacific Championships in California.

"I'm actually looking forward to Irvine California for the Pan Pac's, it's the most favourite pool I have ever swum in so I'm looking forward to that trip the most," said Jones who won silver at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games as a fourteen year old. "It's going to be a fun team, there are 14 year olds already on there and I know what that feels like, so it will be fun."

Men's 50m backstroke
Beijing Olympic bronze medallist in the 100m backstroke Hayden Stoeckel (25.06) showed that he had fully recovered from shoulder surgery winning the 50m backstroke ahead of Daniel Arnamnart (25.08) and Ben Treffers (25.09)

Stoeckel is enjoying his new training base in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport under coach John Fowlie and said "It's fantastic at the AIS, it's a great place they have welcomed me with open arms and I'm really enjoying it."

Men's 200m freestyle
Twenty-three-year-old Olympian Nicholas Ffrost won his first National championship winning the event from lane one in a time of 1.47.50 (24.98, 27.24, 27.57, 27.71). Ffrost qualified for his second Commonwealth Games team ahead of Thomas Fraser-Holmes (1.47.66), Olympian Kenrick Monk (1.47.83) with dual Olympian and bronze medallist in the 400m freestyle at these championships Patrick Murphy (1.48.30) finishing fourth.

Men's 50m butterfly semifinal
Other highlights from the semi final action on night two included dual Olympian Geoff Huegill (23.60) who qualified first for the final of the men's 50m butterfly. Huegill has lost more than 30 kilograms over the past 18 months after enjoying his time away from the pool. He looks in great shape and has his eyes set on making his way back onto the Australian team on night three.

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