Emma McKeon, Jessica Ashwood Shine at Australian Grand Prix

Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr

Not content with her winning time in last night’s 200m freestyle, Australian champion Emma McKeon decided on another crack tonight and it paid off when she clocked one of the fastest times in the world this year, stopping the clock at 1:56.15 in Townsville.

The recently turned 21-year-old from Brisbane clocked the time on the way through in the women’s 400m freestyle final on the final night of the Swimming Australia Grand Prix 2 at the Long Tan Memorial Pool.

She touched the wall and then turned and cruised through the final 200m, allowing 400m specialist and last night’s new 1500m Australian record holder, Jess Ashwood to win her second event of the meet, clocking an impressive 4:08.55.

McKeon won the 200m freestyle final last night in 1:57.76 from Bronte Barratt (1:58.73) and Ashwood (2:00.92).

She is already sitting third in the world on 1:55.88 and her 1:56.16 was a top eight time on this year’s world rankings.

“I didn’t feel like I went out after it fast enough last night and thought ‘let’s have another crack tonight’ and I’m delighted with that time, I’m very happy,” said McKeon, one of the key members of the Australian Dolphins Team in Far North Queensland preparing for this year’s FINA World Championships in Kazan (Russia).

“We have just come off a solid training camp in Cairns and I am really enjoying my move to new coach Michael Bohl, it’s fun and I’m really enjoy my swimming.”

In tonight’s other events:

Australian champion Cameron McEvoy produced a comfortable 1:47.73 to win the 200m freestyle ahead of triple Olympian and former world record holder in the event Grant Hackett (1:49.23) with Thomas Fraser-Holmes third in 1:49.96). Fraser-Holmes had earlier won the men’s 200m individual medley in 2:01.30 and finished third in the 800m freestyle in 8:05.29, won by Mack Horton in 7:59.61

Olympic silver medallist Emily Seebohm completed the backstroke double, taking the 100m tonight in 59.59, in what has been a successful return to racing after her dislocated knee.

Cate Campbell added the 100m freestyle to her 50m win in 53.14, ahead of sister Bronte (53.50) and Madi Wilson 54.57 and Emma McKeon (54.61).

Matt Abood, after his four-meet European tour, won the 50m freestyle in 22.81.

World Short Course champion Mitch Larkin added the 200m backstroke in 1:57.04 to last night’s 100m win.

Australian champion Tessa Wallace took out the 200m breaststroke in 2:24.51

Maddie Groves produced an eye-catching 200m butterfly in 2:08.43 as did Jayden Hadler in the 100m butterfly in 52.62, while;

Christian Sprenger won the 100m breaststroke in 1:02.47.

In the multi-class events Paralympian Ellie Cole (S9) turned up the heat in the women’s 100m backstroke Multi Class final clocking a time of 1:10.82 to take a total of 937 points and get the better of Taylor Corry (S14) in the same time for 835 points. Third place went to IPC debutant, 13-year-old Tiffany Thomas-Kane (S6) in 1:35.00 (709 points).

Queenslander Daniel Fox continued his Grand Prix success claiming the bragging rights in the 50m freestyle (25.69) and 200m freestyle (29.68) multi-class finals with an accumulated total of 1,794 points under his belt.

London Paralympic gold medallist Blake Cochrane had a powerful performance in the 100m breaststroke multi-class final clocking 1:19.34 (944 points) from Richard Eliason (1:11.95) with 796 points followed by Ahmed Kellyfinishing in 2:02.98 (726 points).

2015 Australia Grand Prix-Townsville, Day 2 – Results

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World. To reach our audience, contact us at newsmaster@swimmingworld.com.

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