Aussie World Champs Trials: Thorpe Just Misses Breaking Own 400 Free World Record

HOBART, Tasmania, Australia. Mar. 24. OLYMPIC
champion Ian Thorpe picked up where he left off last year, narrowly missing breaking his own 400 meter freestyle world record at the Australian Swimming Championships today. The championship also serves as the selection meet for the Australian World Championships team.

Competing in his first major meet since he captured three gold medals at last year's Sydney Olympics, Thorpe powered to victory in 3:40.76 seconds — just 17-hundredths of a second shy of the world record he set to win Olympic gold, and the second fastest time in history.

Thorpe, 18, was more than a second and a quarter behind his world record pace at the 200 meter mark but finished strongly to come agonizingly close to breaking his the record.

"I knew things were going pretty well for me but I really didn't expect to go that fast so early," Thorpe said. "It's a really good start for me and has given me a lot of confidence."

Australia's 1500m freestyle Olympic champion Grant Hackett finished second to Thorpe in 3:45.46 with Craig Stevens another seven seconds behind in third.

The first two finishers in each final at the eight-day meet qualify for the World Championships, to be held in July in Fukuoka, Japan.

Thorpe is attempting to qualify for the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle individual events plus the three relays.

Jennifer Reilly booked her place in the team when she won the women's 400m medley, the only other individual final held today, in 4:46.35. Megan McMahon was second in 4:52.44 with Yvette Rodier third in 4:55.79.

Olympic silver medalist Leisel Jones qualified fastest for the women's 100m breaststroke after winning her semifinal in 1:08.65 while Matt Welsh, who also won silver in Sydney, led the men's 100m backstroke qualifiers with a time of 55.08.

With world record holder Susan O'Neill retired, Petria Thomas clocked the fastest time for the women's 200m butterfly, 2:07.32, while Ashley Callus went 22.73 to head the men's 50m freestyle list.

AUSTRALIAN NATIONL CHAMPIONSHIPS and
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TRIALS
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

DAY ONE: March 24, 2001

50 meter pool

Mens 400m Freestyle – Final
1 Ian Thorpe 3:40.76
2 Grant Hackett 3:45.46
3 Craig Stevens 3:52.60
4 Stephen Penfold 3:56.66
5 Andrew Affleck 3:57.99
6 Travis Nederpelt 3:59.23
7 Daniel Lysaught 4:00.66
8 Jason Cram 4:01.03

Womens 400m Individual Medley – Final
1 Jennifer Reilly 4:46.35
2 Megan McMahon 4:52.44
3 Yvette Rodier 4:55.79
4 Georgie Bartlett 4:56.30
5 Karen Hunt 4:56.71
6 Charnelle Crossingham 4:57.97
7 Anna Campbell 5:08.44
8 Jennifer White 5:12.83

Mens 50m Freestyle – Semi Final
1 Ashley Callus 22.73
2 Brett Hawke 22.77
3 David Jenkins 22.80
4 Michael Klim 22.86
5 Todd Pearson 22.91
6 Adam Pine 23.17
7 Stephen Goudie 23.18
8 Nathan Rickard 23.20

9 David Carter 23.36
10 Leon Dunne 23.47
11 Andrew Dyson 23.78
12 Leo Biggs 23.83
13 Casey Flouch 23.98
14 Nic Williams 23.99
15 Raymond McDonald 24.01
Matt Keys DQ

Womens 100m Breaststroke – Semi Final
1 Leisel Jones 1:08.65
2 Brooke Hanson 1:09.40
2 Tarnee White 1:09.40
4 Rebekah Rychvalsky 1:11.82
5 Sarah Kasoulis 1:11.95
6 Angela Kan 1:12.60
7 Katie Clewett 1:12.64
8 Brooke Martin 1:12.78

9 Kate Young 1:12.80
10 Lisa Kempa 1:13.10
11 Bianca Conwell 1:13.51
12 Shayne Reese 1:13.66
13 Kelli Waite 1:13.89
14 Abbey Watt 1:14.06
15 Katharine Bigby 1:14.21
16 Kelly Denner 1:15.88

Mens 100m Backstroke – Semi Final
1 Matt Welsh 55.08
2 Josh Watson 55.47
3 Beau Mannix 56.04
4 Ray Hass 56.48
5 Robert Van der Zant 57.04
6 Leigh McBean 57.33
7 Ashley Anderson 57.45
8 Cameron Delaney 57.65

9 Ethan Rolff 57.74
10 Edward Roche 57.96
11 Rahmin Dekretser 58.34
12 Andrew Burns 58.39
13 Mark Bush 58.80
14 Daniel Blackborrow 58.89
15 Michael Higgins 59.03
16 Louis Paul 59.28

Womens 200m Butterfly – Semi Final
1 Petria Thomas 2:07.32
2 Nicole Hunter 2:13.85
3 Felicity Galvez 2:14.72
4 Lara Davenport 2:14.84
5 Sarah Windsor 2:14.94
6 Kate Hanna 2:15.45
7 Heidi Crawford 2:15.53
8 Linda MacKenzie 2:15.94

9 Stephanie Vance 2:16.03
10 Rachel Coffee 2:16.29
11 Aimee Cantrell 2:16.40
12 Charnelle Crossingham 2:16.83
13 Katie Canning 2:16.94
14 Kate Corkran 2:17.13
15 Jessicah Schipper 2:18.01
16 Jessica Luscombe 2:19.16

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