Australia Names World Cup Teams

By Ian Hanson

MELBOURNE, Oct. 23. OLYMPIC gold medalists Michael Klim and Grant Hackett and backstroke wonderboy Matt Welsh have been joined by national age group star Ashley Anderson and comeback queen Lori Munz on the Telstra Dolphins Australian swimming team for the FINA World Cup in Melbourne, December 5-7.

Australian Swimming has named a 20-strong team of 10 men and 10 women with Jim Fowlie as head coach and Otto Sonnleitner and Ian Pope as his assistants.

The Dolphins will compete in Melbourne's first World Cup meet against some of the best swimmers in the world on December 5,6 and 7 at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Klim, the winner of two gold and two silver medals at the Olympics, was forced out of the recent Telstra Australian Short Course Championships with a back injury, while Welsh and Hackett were in sizzling form.

But Klim has assured national head coach Don Talbot he will be right to return to competition in front of his home crowd in a meet which is certain to draw sell-out crowds to the Melbourne venue at Albert Park.

Welsh's short course 200m backstroke world mark at the Australian Championships even drew congratulations from the backstroke king himself, American Lenny Krayzelburg.

Krayzelburg said from Los Angeles today: "Give Matt my personal congratulations on great swimming and tell him to keep it up. I am sincerely looking forard to the rivalry we'll have in the next four years."

Hackett was only just outside Kieren Perkins short course 800 metres freestyle world record. He has been joined on the team by his Miami teammate, Australian short course 400m champion, Stephen Penfold, who along with Ashley Anderson and Tasmanian butterflyer Nicole Hunter, were all members of this year's Millenium Commonwealth Games Youth Team, which scooped the pool in Edinburgh.

Anderson, 16, is an extraordinary talent, who has won 15 national age group championships and is the first aboriginal swimmer to win selection on an Australian Swimming Team.

The brilliant all-rounder from Rockhampton, who is coached by the wily Sonnleitner, has been rewarded for his outstanding showing at the Telstra Short Course Nationals, which saw him finish fourth to Welsh in both the 50 and 100m backsroke events. Anderson clocked 25.68 in the 50m backstroke and 55.13 in the 100m backstroke.

He as also been named on the Dolphins World Cup team to compete in Rio de Janeiro (Nov 10-12); Washington, D.C. (Nov 15-16) and Edmonton (Nov 18-19).

Selection on the Melbourne World Cup team for Melbourne and the Dolphins team for Europe in January is the first step back for Lori Munz, who has fought her way back after a car accident threatened her career and ruined her Olympic dream just eight-weeks before the Olympic Trials.

"I'm back," said Munz after winning four gold medals at the Short Course Nationals in the 100 and 200m IM and the 100 and 200m freestyle.

She has also been named on the Dolphins team for the first tour to Europe, along with fellow Victorians Jordana Webb and Brooke Hanson – who were also on the team for Melbourne.

Hanson bounced back to win the 50,100 and 200m breaststroke treble after just missing her second Olympic team, the first swimmer since Linley Frame in 1992, to win all three breaststroke titles.

Telstra Dolphins Australian Swim Team, FINA World Cup, (Melbourne, December 5,6,7, 2000:)

Men
Matt Welsh Surrey ParkVIC
Greg Shaw Chandler QLD
Phil Rogers Sydney Uni NSW
Jim Piper CampbelltownNSW
Stephen Penfold Miami QLD
Grant McGregor Brothers/AIS QLD
Michael Klim Southern BayVIC
Brett Hawke Sydney Uni NSW
Grant Hackett Miami QLD
Ashley Anderson CQ Aquajets QLD

Women
Jordana Webb Carey Aquatic VIC
Sarah Ryan Bayside/AIS SA
Lori Munz Carey Aquatic VIC
Megan McMahon Fleurieu SA
Nicole Irving Pelican Waters Caloundra QLD
Nicole Hunter Tattersalls Hobart TAS
Brooke Hanson Nunawading VIC
Elka Graham Manly NSW
Dyana Calub Kingscliff NSW
Liesel Jones Redcliffe Leagues Lawnton QLD

Head Coach – Jim Fowlie
Team Coaches – Otto Sonnleitner, Ian Pope

Telstra Dolphins Australian Swim Team, FINA World Cup Meets, America/Asia (Edmonton Nov 18-19; Shanghai Nov 28,29; Melbourne Dec 5-7):

Rebecca Creedy Albany CreekQLD
Nicole Hunter Tattersalls HobartTAS
Emily Pedrazzini Albany CreekQLD
Kelly Tucker Kincumber Pacific DolphinsNSW
Head Coach: John Rodgers;Coach/Manager: Ruth Everuss

Telstra Dolphins Australian Swim Team, AMERICAS (Rio de Janeiro, Nov 10-12; Washington Nov 15-16; Edmonton Nov 18-19):

Ashley Anderson CQ Aquajets QLD
Leo Biggs Brothers QLD
Shane Fielding St Peters Western QLD
Ray Hass Firbank VIC
David Jenkins Sydney Uni NSW
Beau Mannix Sandy Bay QLD
Anthony Matkovitch City of Perth WA
Heath Ramsay Railways QLD

Head Coach: Stepan Widmar; Team Coach: Glenda Radley

Telstra Dolphins Australian Swim Team, Europe 1 World Cup (Naples Jan 13-14; Sheffield Jan 17-18; Berlin Jan 20-21):

Elka Graham Manly NSW
Brooke Hanson NunawadingVIC
Leisel Jones Redcliffe Leagues LawntonQLD
Megan McMahon FleurieuSA
Lori Munz Carey Aquatic VIC
Jennifer Reilly Victoria ParkWA
Clementine Stoney Albury NSW
Jordana Webb Carey Aquatic VIC

Head Coach: Rowan Taylor; Assistant Coach: Narelle Simpson

Telstra Dolphins Australian Swim Team, Europe 2 World Cup Team (Berlin Jan 20-21; Stockholm, Jan 24-25; Paris 27-28):

Simon Cowley SLC Aquadot NSW
Leon Dunne Yeronga Park QLD
Michael Klim Southern Bay VIC
Grant McGregor Brothers/AIS QLD
Todd Pearson Carine/AIS WA
Adam Pine Ballina/AIS NSW
Jim Piper Campbelltown NSW
Robert Van Der Zant Yeronga Park QLD

Head Coach: Gennadi Touretski; Assistant Coach: Rick Van Der Zant

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