Australian Short Course Swimming Championships, Day Three Prelims: Kylie Palmer Chases Treble As Brotherly Battle Brews in 50m Freestyle Final

By Ian Hanson Chief Australian Correspondent

ADELAIDE, Australia, July 3. OLYMPIC gold medallist and the star of this year's Australian Open Championships Kylie Palmer (Chandler, Qld) won't have things all her own way as she chases a freestyle treble on the final night of the 2011 Australian Short Course Championships in Adelaide tonight.

The countdown is on for the World's in Shanghai and the Australian women's 4x200m freestylers are taking aim at the USA, Great Britain and China as they build up to the defence of their Olympic crown in London.

And Palmer, the world's number one ranked long course 200m freestyler, will have her final hit out against World Championship team mates Jade Neilsen (Miami, Qld) and Kelly Stubbins (Haileybury, Vic) tonight.

It will be one of the major highlights of what has been an entertaining weekend of swimming at the state-of-the-art SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre – venue for next year's Olympic Trials.

I've had the luxury of sitting back and watching all of the action on Australia's host broadcaster ONE-HD, allowing me to provide Swimming World readers with an "Armchair view" of the action.

It has been great to see the local Adelaide swimming supporters roll out to watch the big names of the sport which has been exciting in the build up to the March Trials.

And tonight will be no different with Palmer aiming to add the 200m title to the 400 and 800m crowns she has won on the first two nights.

It will be great for Palmer to showcase the style that has made her one of Australia's great hopes for success not only in Shanghai but also London.

But it was Neilsen, the latest young gun to come out of the Denis Cotterell "Pool Of Champions" at Miami on the Gold Coast who is the fastest qualifier from the heats, clocking 1:57.47 to Palmer's 1:57.70 with emerging star Jessica Morrison (Melbourne Vicentre) the third fastest in 1:58.07, ahead of Stubbins (1:58.10).

Other highlights will be:

THE men's 50m freestyle final which could well see a first in Australian swimming with two sets of brothers lining up in a major final with Andrew Abood (Sydney Uni., NSW) joining big brother and Australian record holder Matt (SOPAC, NSW) and Hayden McEvoy (Southport, Qld), surviving a swim off to join little brother Cameron.

It will feature five World Championship team members with Olympic relay silver medallist Matt Targett (Melbourne Vicentre) leading the way on 21.58 from Kyle Richardson (Chandler) 21.66, Matt Abood 21.98, Kenneth To (Trinity Grammar, NSW) 22.00 and Olympic silver medallist Eamon Sullivan SOPAC) 22.18 heading Andrew Abood 22.26, Cameron McEvoy 22.30 and Hayden McEvoy 22.42.

THE Men's 100 metres butterfly with last night's 50m butterfly winner, two-time Olympian Geoff Huegill (SPAC, NSW) up against Commonwealth record holder and fastest qualifier Mitchell Patterson (Cranbrook, NSW).

WORLD champion Jessicah Schipper (Chandler, Qld) up against fastest qualifier Amy Smith (St Peters Western, Qld) in the 200m butterfly.

DEFENDING champion Leiston Pickett (Southport, Qld) verses breaststroke queen Leisel Jones in the 50m breaststroke shoot-out – with Pickett swimming 30.44 to Jones' 30.49 in the heats.

SOUTHPORT's Brenton Rickard's attack on the 200m breaststroke, without rival and Commonwealth record holder Christian Sprenger, who has dropped the longer event, but with a host of youngsters breathing down his neck.

ROOKIE Aisling Scott (Brothers, Qld) chasing her first National title up against 400IM winner Ellen Fullerton (Chandler) and Jessica Pengelly (South Africa) and 100IM winner Samantha Wilkins (Haileybury, Vic).

RACHEL GOH chasing the sprint backstroke double in the 50m final after winning the 100m last night but she has a host of meet winners, team mate, defending champion and Commonwealth record holder Marieke Guehrer, former champion Tayliah Zimmer (Nunawading, Vic), Yolane Kukla (St Peters Western) and Samantha Wilkins (Haileybury, Vic).

DANIEL ARNAMNART (Aquaburn, NSW) is very much in the fastest lane for his tilt at the 100m backstroke but look out for local hero and Olympic silver and bronze medallist Hayden Stoeckel (Melbourne Vicentre) and;

UNDERWATER warrior Kenneth To (Trinity Grammar) chases the defence of his 100IM title after his pb 200IM win last night and Leith Brodie's Australian record of 51.96 could well be under siege after his 52.50 this morning.

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