Jessica Ashwood Sets New Australian Record at the Grand Prix in Townsville

Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia

In Townsville Friday night Australian distance-freestyle specialist Jessica Ashwood succeeded in doing something no other Australian woman has done before: go under the 16-minute mark in the 1500-meter freestyle. Ashwood swam an impressive 15:56.86 to set a new Australian record. This replaces Melissa Gorman’s 2010 record of 16:01.53 by 4.67 seconds.

Her debut was at the 2011 National Championships where she swam a 16:14.47 to qualify for the 2011 World Championships in the 1500-meter freestyle. Success continued to build for Ashwood when she finished third in the 400-meter freestyle (4:12.47) at the 2011 Junior Pan Pacific Championships and second in the 800-meter freestyle (8:27.97) at the 2012 Australian National Championships.

She represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London in the 800-meter freestyle.

Ashwood’s time is currently the second-fastest in the event behind Katie Ledecky’s 15:42.23 that she posted earlier this year in Mesa, AZ.

Currently Ashwood is slated to swim the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle later this summer at the World Championships in Kazan, Russia, but may now add the 1500-meter freestyle to her repertoire.

Swimming Australia Release

London Olympian Jess Ashwood has opened the Swimming Australia Grand Prix 2 in Townsville with a bang, setting a new Australian record in the 1500m freestyle in the first final of the two-day meet at the Long Tan Memorial Pool in Townsville.

The 22-year-old Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championship representative from 2014 clocked a time of 15:56.86 to take 4.67 seconds off Melissa Gorman’s previous Australian mark of 16:01.53 set in 2010.

Ashwood, who is coached by wily Olympic coach Vince Raleigh at Chandler in Brisbane, took a whopping 17.61 seconds off her previous best set in Sydney in 2011.

In the middle of training after a seven-day training camp in Cairns, Ashwood churned through the 30 laps in impressive style in a time that is ranked the second fastest time in the world for the event for 2015.

Ashwood has been selected to contest the 400 and 800m freestyle for the up-coming FINA World Championships in Kazan in August and may now be adding the 1500m to her repertoire.

The IPC Team continued their run of success in the finals tonight with the current world record holder in the men’s S14 100m freestyle Daniel Fox showing how strong his form is in the final tonight, touching the wall in a speedy 54.21 earning him 1001 points and first place.

Commonwealth Games representative Joshua Alford followed in second place with 56.72 (874 points) with Matthew Levy taking third place in 1:04.19 (821 points).

The heats will continue tomorrow at 9:00am with finals from 4:00pm at the Long Tan Memorial Pool in Townsville.

Long Tan Memorial Pool’s recent upgrades and the North Queensland climate make it an ideal training ground and competition venue.

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liquidassets

8 years ago

Not bad! Only about one lap behind Ledecky’s WR, which is pretty good these days.. Puts her in contention for silver or bronze at Worlds…