Australian Short Course Championships, Adelaide, Day Three Finals: Kenneth’s To Hold On Australian 100 IM Record, Golden Girl Kylie Palmer Adds Title Number Three

By Ian Hanson Chief Australian Correspondent

ADELAIDE, Australia, July 3. ONE of Australia's memorable Olympic golden boys, Los Angeles 200m butterfly gold medallist Jon Sieben proved that size, or lack of it didn't matter when he conquered "The Albatross" Michael Gross to cause one of the great upsets of the 1984 LA Games.

And so the story continues for Australia's latest emerging swim star, Kenneth To, who showed that big things can continue to come in small packages after setting the only Australian record in Open competition at the Australian Short Course Championships at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre.

Giving away size to the entire field, To put a hold on Leith Brodie's Australian record from the start and never let up, clocking a sizzling 51.93secs – the equal ninth fastest time in history.

The final night of the championships was also the opportunity for Australia's number one female freestyler Kylie Palmer to again show the Adelaide fans and finally the Australian television audience the kind of form that could well see her shine at this month's FINA World Championships in Shanghai.

The Olympic gold medallist in the 4x200m freestyle and three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist in Delhi last year had earlier in the meet won the 800m and the 400m freestyle gold medals.

Palmer told ONE HD TV poolside reporter Mark Howard: "I'm really happy with that time and I'm in a really good place at the moment. That swim is good for my confidence for a good swim at Worlds and leading into the Olympic Trials."

Here is the synopsis of the final night:

Men's 100m individual medley:

Underwater master Kenneth To smashed the only Australian record of the Championships with a brilliant display to defend his 100IM title in the equal ninth fastest time in history. In one of the best underwater and free swimming displays seen by an Australian swimmer, the star of Australia's 2010 Youth Olympic team in Singapore clocked 51.93 (10.46, 23.10, 38.67) to take 0.03secs off Leith Brodie's 2009 National record. Brodie finished second (53.85) with fellow 2009 World Championship team member Stephen Parkes (Sydney University, NSW) 55.47 third. To admitted he was a huge fan of short course, saying: "I have always enjoyed the short course format, testing my skills and my size which enables me to get off the start and work the turns," said To, who said he and coach Matt Brown has been planning a tilt at the record for some time.

Women's 200m butterfly:

There was no stopping World Champion Jessicah Schipper who produced another dominant performance to win the 200m butterfly in 2:06.37 (28.41, 1:00.50, 1:33.14) 2:06.27 ahead of Amy Smith (St Peters Western, Qld) 2:08.53 and Nicole Mee (Cranbrook Eastern Edge, NSW) 2:09.53. Schipper said she was excited about swimming in her fifth consecutive World Titles, eight years after her debut in Barcelona in 2003. "I'm in hard training at the moment and I can't wait to get to Shanghai and race," said Schipper.

Men's 100m butterfly:

All eyes were on the biggest name in the sport in Geoff Huegill but after just over 50 seconds it was defending champion Chris Wright and Commonwealth record holder Mitchell Patterson, who up-staged a sluggish Huegill, obviously feeling the effects of a tough World Championship preparation. Wright (Southport, Qld) motored down the last lap to win in 51.30 from Patterson (Cranbrook Eastern Edge, NSW) 51.53 and Huegill 51.79.

Women's 50m breaststroke:

Not a noted 50m sprinter, Leisel Jones has certainly signalled her intentions for Shanghai and London – to take on the world in the 100m and her short course 50 breaststroke win tonight certainly showed what the future holds – fast times. Jones (Nunawading, Vic) clocked her second fastest time ever, stopping the clock at 29.92 (just outside her 29.78pb, set in Berlin last year) with Commonwealth Games champion Leiston Pickett (Southport, Qld) 30.36 second and Australian Open 50m freestyle champion Olivia Halicek (Uniswim, NSW) 30.88 third. "I think the altitude training is working," said Jones.

Men's 200m breaststroke:

It was a case of Brenton Rickard first and daylight second in the men's 200m breaststroke as Australia's premier all-round breaststroker added the longer event to his victory in the 100m last night. Without arch rival and 50m winner Christian Sprenger, it was all Rickard, who stopped the clock at 2:08.02 (28.70, 1:00.99, 1:34.01) to win the gold medal from team mate Nikolaus Pregelj 2:10.93 and Craig Tucker (City of Perth) third in 2:11.04. Rickard will contest all three breaststroke events in Shanghai.

Women's 200m freestyle:

There was no stopping Australian swimming's premier women's freestyler Kylie Palmer as she swept to her third National title in Adelaide, adding the 200m to her 400m of last night and the 800m from night one for a rare treble. Palmer sat back behind Jessica Morrison (Melbourne Vicentre, Vic) and Kelly Stubbins (Haileybury, Vic) through the first 100m, taking control at the half-way turn in 56.35 to swim away from the field and win in 1:55.07 from Stubbins 1.56.47 and Morrison 1:56.63. Palmer told ONE HD TV poolside reporter Mark Howard: "I'm really happy with that time and I'm in a really good place at the moment. That swim is good for my confidence for a good swim at Worlds and leading into the Olympic Trials."

Men's 50m freestyle:

The battle of the freestyle sprinters saw the clash of the short and the tall with the tallest Matt Targett (Melbourne Vicentre, Vic) 21.31 just too big and too strong over the two 25 metres laps for the brave and the smallest, 100IM Australian record holder Kenneth To (Trinity Grammar) 21.55 with the taller Matt Abood (SOPAC) third in 21.72. Targett has come back to Australia after a successful Mare Nostrum tour and will help spearhead the Australian 4x100m freestyle relay in Shanghai.

Women's 200 individual medley:

A change has been as good as a holiday for former Gold Coaster Ellen Fullerton (Chandler, Qld) after she added the 200IM (2:08.24pb) to her victory earlier in the meet in the 400IM. Her move to Brisbane and coach Stephan Widmer has certainly set her up for a smooth ride into next year's Olympic Trials. Tonight's race was perfectly executed by the 2009 World Championship team member who was not far outside Emily Seebohm's Australian record of 2:07.64. It also placed her in the top 25 of all time in the event with 100IM winner Samantha Wilkins also clocking a pb of 2:10.64 with Jessica Pengelly (South Africa) third in 2:12.93.

Men's 400 individual medley:

Leith Brodie (St Peters Western) showed he will once again be a force to be reckoned with at next year's Olympic Trials as he starts his preparation to make his second Olympic team for London with an encouraging victory in the 400IM in 4:14.03. One of Australia's finest all-round swimmers proved too strong for emerging IMer Travis Mahoney (Nunawading) 4:16.80, with Brodie's 2009 World Championship team mate Stephen Parkes (Sydney University, NSW) 4:17.31 also an encouraging third.

Women's 50m backstroke:

Melbourne Vicentre coaches Ian Pope and Craig Jackson capped off a great three days for their club when last night's 100m backstroke winner Rachel Go (26.82), defending champion and Commonwealth record holder Marieke Guehrer (27.15) and last minute qualifier Grace Loh (27.32) front lane eight gave the 2010 Club of the Year a rare trifecta in the 50 metres backstroke.

Men's 100m backstroke:

Local hero and Olympic bronze medallist, the laid back Hayden Stoeckel (Melbourne Vicentre) 51.95 timed his finish to perfection to win the 100m backstroke from Daniel Arnamnart (Aquaburn, NSW) 52.40 and Bobby Jovanovich (Arena, WA) 52.75. Stoeckel added the 100 to his 50m victory from night one to set himself up for what should be a strong showing for the World Championships in Shanghai.

Men's 1500m freestyle:

The absence of the fastest six 1500m swimmers on the rankings gave the next generation the chance to show their wares with 21-year-old Redcliffe Leagues Lawnton swimmer Matthew Terry taking almost 30 seconds off his pb, clocking 15:.06.20 to move up from 17 to six on the current Australian rankings. Sixteen-year-old Jarrod Poort (Wests Illawarra, NSW) finished second in a pb time of 15.13.61 with Nunawading's Shane Asbury third in a time of 15:16.23, just outside his best.

Meanwhile Swimming Australia has announced that the following Multi-Class swimmers all recorded provisional world records at the 2011 Australian Short Course Championships in Adelaide.

– Aaron Rhind (Ginninderra, ACT) S6 100m butterfly 1:13.91 (H) 1:13.26 (F)
– Blake Cochrane (Southern Cross, Qld) SB7 50m Breaststroke 35.98
– Grant Patterson (Central Cairns, Qld) S3 100m Backstroke 1:59.71
– Ellie Cole (Tigersharks, Vic) S9 400m Freestyle 4:37.21
– Grant Patterson (Central Cairns, Qld) S3 100m Freestyle 1:56.10
– Grant Patterson (Central Cairns, Qld) S3 50m Freestyle 55.53
– Kayla Clarke (Arena, WA) S14 50m Freestyle 29.04
– Katherine Downie (Arena, WA) S10 100m Freestyle 1:02.45
– Prue Watt (Nunawading, Vic) S13 50m Butterfly 30.67
– Katherine Downie (Arena, WA) S10 50m Butterfly 32.00
– Mitchell Kilduff (SLC Aquadot, NSW) S14 50m Butterfly 27.45

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