Aussie Champs: Mitch Larkin Works On Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte Weaponry As He Ponders A Tough Choice – 200 back or 200 IM?

SMILING ASSASIN: Mitch Larkin after a testing 200IM win on the Gold Coast,. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

Mitch Larkin Works On Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte Weaponry As He Ponders A Tough Choice – 200 back or 200 IM?

Mitch Larkin is working on the underwater weapons used so successfully by Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte as he plots “campaign Tokyo” – the 200 backstroke or the 200m individual medley?

It follows another dominant performance to win the 200 IM at the Australian Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast today.

BREATH STROKE: Mitch Larkin “sucking in the big ones” on his way to IM gold Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

His third National IM win (2011, 2019, 2021) came the morning after his powerhouse 200m backstroke time of 1:54.38 (second in the world for 2021) in the heats of the event he calls “my baby.”

The 27-year-old from St Peters Western (SPW) fired off a 1:56.74 (No 1 in the world for 2020) for the 200IM, admitting he arrived at the pool feeling “sore and sorry for himself” after leaving nothing in the pool in the backstroke.

But Larkin must decide, which one? He will only swim one of these events in Tokyo and at the June Olympic Trials as he continues to ponder a complicated Tokyo campaign that sees both the 200m backstroke and IM on the same day – one of them will have to go.

And this last 24 hours has provided Larkin and his coach at St Peters Western Dean Boxall an opportunity for Larkin to “empty the tank” in both races – but probably not making their decision any easier – although maybe, just maybe he is shading towards his “baby” – the 200m backstroke.

Backing up after clocking a his best time in over five years to an IM that he has been working on diligently since returning to the SPW program and coach Boxall.

“I would rather focus on one event and do it well than two events and do them average,” admitted Larkin.

“I have to say I did take a lot away from my ‘two back’ last night – I had not been within my best in five or six years. And I have said this all along the ‘two back’ is my baby so to be there again is pretty fantastic.”

THE PHELPS AND LOCHTE SHOW: Ryan Lochte and MichaelPhelps pushed themselves to the limit. Photo Courtesy: Richard Lautens.

He did not hold back in the IM saying: “I’ve been practicing that last turn to (make sure) I do a couple of kicks just like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.

“It has been their secret weapon and I’m trying to replicate that as much as I can..It’s about emptying the tank and over the next eight weeks we’ll look at the skills, look at the stroke, look at the technique and see what we can work on from there.

“Phelps and Lochte were incredible and I don’t think Lochte gets enough credit for just how good he is. I watched them race at the 2011 Worlds and just how far (ahead of their time) they were and they are still miles in front.”

SPEED TO BURN: Emma McKeon racing at her best at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

After Emma McKeon (Griffith University) won her sixth 100m butterfly crown in a sizzling 56.44 (26.15) – the second fastest time in the world for 2021 (behind American 16-year-old Claire Curzon’s 56.20, she said: “The 50m split of 26.15 is where I want to be going out but I would like to come back a bit quicker; I’m working on my back end at the moment.

“I’ve got good early speed so when I rest up that will come a bit easier.

“I know that once I rest and also get a few more months of training in I know I can swim a bit quicker.

“I think I knew my time would be around there…because my 100m freestyle was right on my pb. and I’ve been training more freestyle than butterfly….so hopefully doing more fly will help me later on.”

LIKE A TIGER: Ariarne Titmus ready to pounce in the 400m freestyle. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

World champion Ariarne Titmus (SPW) went so close to the 4 minutes in her third straight 400m win at the Nationals, winning in 4:01.34 – a time only bettered by her nemesis, American, Katie Ledecky and saying: “For me now I know what a 400m should feel like in terms of rates and my breathing pattern (and that) feeling in the water.

“That’s something I had forgotten a little bit; I was nervous coming into this race…whether I was going out hard enough.

“I lost a little bit of that confidence especially with my (shoulder) injury but I feel like I got that back today.

“Racing well gives you the biggest confidence leading into the next meet…I’m happy that I’ve ticked off what I needed to do here.”

BATTLE ROYAL: Elijah Winnington kept Thomas Neill at bay. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

Her club mate Elijah Winnington staged a battle royal with four-time World Junior medallist Thomas Neill (Rackley) in the 400m freestyle before holding on to defend his title in an outstanding time 3:45.69 – under the Australian Olympic qualifying time to 18-year-old Neill’s 3:46.35 (only just outside).

Although Winnington, with his sights set on the 200 and 400m at the Olympic Trials wasn’t altogether happy with the time.

“As bad as it sounds I’m actually a little bit disappointed with that race; I actually went faster at the NSW Championships a month ago…the plan was to keep getting faster as the months go on,” said Winnington, who admitted the men’s 400m freestyle is probably one of the most hotly contested events in swimming.

“There are four of us who can go under the Olympic qualifying time

which is pretty much unheard of in an individual event.

“But first and foremost it is just getting on the team and what comes with that and with being an Australian and being in the team for a race like this you are in medal contention.”

And on Olympic champion Mack Horton, who withdrew from the event ?

“(Mack) is the reigning Olympic champion and he (also) had a sluggish meet at 2019 Worlds Trials and look what he did at Worlds – you can’t count him out; I will have to prepared that he will be “on” come Olympic Trials.

“But my first goal is to get my ticket to Tokyo and then we’ll take it from there.”

WHAT A PEARLER: Kaylee McKeown on the fly in the 200IM. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

Kaylee McKeown (USC Spartans) clocked a world class time of 2:09.78 to win the 200IM after opting out of her main event, the 200m backstroke, leaving it to three-time world champion Emily Seebohm (Griffith University) who also clocked a a world top ten time of 2:07.46 and is right on track for a red hot crack at a fourth Olympics – doing everything in her power at 28, to swim her way into the history books.

The Griffith Uni swimmer was joined on the podium by training mate Jessica Unicomb, who posted 2:13.27, and Rackley’s Tahlia Thornton (2:16.97).

MATT FINISH: Nunawading’s Matt Temple thumbs up for his first National title in the 100m butterfly. Photo Courtesy:

After placing second on the podium in the men’s 200m butterfly, Nunawading’s Matthew Temple went one better to triumph in the 100m butterfly.

Posting a very competitive time of 51.83, Temple edged out Abbotsleigh’s fast finishing Shaun Champion (52.17) and Nunawading teammate, 200m winner Bowen Gough (53.01).

Tristan Hollard (Southport Olympic), having already picked up the 100m backstroke crown, added to his haul on Saturday, with a personal best time of 1:56.40 in the 200m backstroke from Ty Hartwell (Chandler) took the silver spot in 1:58.73 and Bradley Woodward (Mingara) the bronze in 1:58.76.

DOUBLE BACK: A popular backstroke double for Southport Olympic local Tristan Hollard who added the 200m backstroke to his 100m win – A case of while the cat’s away? Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use