New World No 1 Sam Short Withdraws From 200m Freestyle Final In Favour Of The 1500m At Aussie Titles

Sam Short under water stroke Photo Wade Brennan

SAM's UNDERWATER WORLD: Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 1500m Sam Short, shows his style. Photo Courtesy: Wade's Photos.

Australian swimming’s latest world number one, Queenslander Sam Short (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) will throw all of his eggs into the 1500m freestyle basket on the night two of the 2023 Australian Championships finals tonight – withdrawing from the 200m freestyle final.

Just 24 hours after Short’s crazy 3:42.46 to win the 400m on night one on the Gold Coast, he will by-pass the 200 as he prepares to unleash in his main event.

PACKING PLENTY OF PUNCH: Sam Short and Elijah Winnington after last night’s 400m final on the Gold Coast. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Short backed up alongside last night’s 400m placegetters, world champion Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) and his Rackley team mate Tommy Neill in this morning’s 200m heats – qualifying fifth fastest fastest in 1:48.84 for a star-studded final.

With the condensed four-day program, the timed final of the 1500m also falls on night two and the Commonwealth Games gold medallist will prepare to attack the clock again .

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And particularly after Northern Ireland’s Birmingham silver medallist Daniel Wiffen has scorched to No 1 in the world with his stunning 14:34.91 – almost 17 seconds faster than he swum at the Commonwealth Games.

Short and coach Damien Jones confirmed his withdrawal from the 200m to Swimming World – keen to capitalise on his huge aerobic base with former Tasmanian Age group star Max Giuliani – now under Richard Scarce at Miami, QLD, coming into the A final.

A tilt at the 200m will have to wait for Short until the expanded World Trials meet that will now be swum indoors at the Melbourne Sports And Aquatic Centre in June as he chases not only an individual spot for Fukuoka in July but also a place in what could well be a new look Australian 4x200m freestyle squad.

THAT’S MY BOY: Triple Olympian Hayley Lewis with son Kai at St Peters Western. Photo Courtesy: The Courier Mail.

The fastest qualifier into tonight’s 200m final is exciting St Peters Western 19-year-old Kai Taylor, the son of Australian team legend Hayley Lewis, herself a two-time Olympic medallist and 200m world champion from 1991 in Perth.

Taylor (1:46.82) will be joined by Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) 1:47.39, Australian Age star, 17-year-old Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 1:47.53, Tokyo relay medallist Alex Graham (Miami, QLD) 1:47.54, Winnington 1:47.85, Josha Salchow (Germany)1:47.91, Neill 1:47.98, James Koch (Sydney University, NSW) 1:48.82, Cameron Bladen (Tigersharks, VIC) 1:48.84 and Giuliani 1:49.25.

For all of this morning’s heat results click on the link below:

Program of events click here
Final start lists click here
Follow all the updates via the event website click here
Live Results click here
Heats daily from 10am, Finals daily from 6pm.

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Isla

1 year ago

lets go sam brother cant wait to hug you when i see you soon