Things Fall Apart: Two More Aussie Stars Duck the “Duel”

By Stephen J. Thomas

SYDNEY, March 29. AUSTRALIAN Swimming tonight named a team of 43 athletes, made up of five defending World Champions and nine rookies, to compete at the 10th FINA World Swimming Championships in Barcelona, Spain from July 20-27.

However, several members of this team have withdrawn from the Duel in the Pool meet against the USA in Indianapolis April 6 on medical grounds: Ashley Callus, Ian Thorpe, Geoff Huegill, Leisel Jones, Josh Watson, Brenton Rickard and Heidi Crawford.

The World Championship team includes defending World Champions, Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Matthew Welsh, Geoff Huegill and Giaan Rooney.

Thorpe (400m freestyle) and Hackett (1500m freestyle) will be aiming to become the first swimmers in the 30-year history of the World Championships to win three successive world titles in the same event.

Making their major international debut for Australia are Casey Flouch, Travis Nederpelt, Stephen Penfold, Brenton Rickard, Nicholas Sprenger, Lisbeth Lenton, Jessica Schipper, Zoe Tonks and Belinda Wilson.

The youngest athletes on the team are 15-year-old Zoe Tonks (female) and 17-year-old Travis Nederpelt (male) while Adam Pine is the oldest male at 27 with Sarah Ryan the oldest female at 26.

Other than those mentioned above, the team leaves on Tuesday for the Duel in the Pool against the USA in Indianapolis on April 6.

The Australian Team is:
MEN

1 Ashley Callus 24 Redlands QLD

2 Jason Cram 20 SLC Aquadot NSW

3 Casey Flouch 21 Commercial QLD

4 Grant Hackett 22 Miami QLD

5 Regan Harrison 24 Yeronga Park QLD

6 Ray Hass 25 Melbourne Vicentre VIC

7 Brett Hawke 27 Sydney University NSW

8 Geoff Huegill 23 Redcliffe Leagues Lawnton QLD

9 Antony Matkovich 25 City of Perth WA

10 Travis Nederpelt 17 City of Perth WA

11 Justin Norris 22 Hunter NSW

12 Todd Pearson 25 West Coast WA

13 Stephen Penfold 20 Miami QLD

14 Adam Pine 27 Yeronga Park QLD

15 Jim Piper 21 Campbelltown NSW

16 Brenton Rickard 19 Carey Aquatic VIC

17 Nicholas Sprenger 17 Commercial QLD

18 Trent Steed 25 Campbelltown NSW

19 Craig Stevens 22 SLC Aquadot NSW

20 Ian Thorpe 20 SLC Aquadot NSW

21 Josh Watson 25 Kingscliff NSW

22 Matt Welsh 26 Melbourne Vicentre VIC

WOMEN
1 Jessica Abbott 17 Hurstville Aquatic NSW

2 Frances Adcock 18 Norwood SA

3 Heidi Crawford 21 Hunter NSW

4 Felicity Galvez 18 Campbelltown NSW

5 Elka Graham 21 Sydney University NSW

6 Brooke Hanson 25 Nunawading VIC

7 Jodie Henry 19 Chandler QLD

8 Leisel Jones 17 Redcliffe Leagues Lawnton QLD

9 Sarah Katsoulis 18 Carey Aquatic VIC

10 Lisbeth Lenton 18 Commercial QLD

11 Linda MacKenzie 19 Mackay QLD

12 Alice Mills 16 Chandler QLD

13 Melissa Morgan 18 Burnside SA

14 Amanda Pascoe 18 Campbelltown NSW

15 Jennifer Reilly 19 Victoria Park WA

16 Giaan Rooney 20 Melbourne Vicentre VIC

17 Sarah Ryan 26 Western Sharks SA

18 Jessicah Schipper 16 Redcliffe Leagues Lawnton QLD

19 Kirsten Thomson 19 Sydney University NSW

20 Zoe Tonks 15 Saints QLD

21 Belinda Wilson 19 Toongabbie NSW

High Performance Director
Greg Hodge

Managers
Karen Stephenson
David Wilson

Head Coach Men
Brian Sutton

Head Coach Women
Scott Volkers

Team Coaches
Glenn Beringen
Denis Cotterell
Tracey Menzies
Ian Pope
Shannon Rollason
Greg Salter
Alan Thompson
David Urquhart
Stephan Widmar
Ken Wood

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