Australian Trials: Flash! Eamon Sullivan Demolishes 50 Free Record Again; Commonwealth Records Tumble

SYDNEY, Australia, March 28. THE 50 free moved into unfathomable territory today at the Australian Trials as Eamon Sullivan dropped his world record even further at the Australian Trials.

Sullivan stunned the swimming world when he clocked a time off 21.28 in the finals of the event at the Australian Trials after first reclaiming the record from Alain Bernard with a 21.41 during semifinals just yesterday.

With his three separate progressions of the record, Sullivan tied Matt Biondi for second all time. Only Tom Jager has dropped the record on more occasions (six times). Should Sullivan follow the same arc as Jager, a time in the 20s should be assured.

"It was great to improve on the semi-final and step up in the final which is obviously what I'm going to have to do come Beijing," Sullivan told Swimming Australia. "Just improving every swim I did, I think I've swum faster in every final I've done for the last couple of years so I'm very, very happy to execute what my coach told me to do tonight."

Sullivan's journey is remarkable as only a year ago his best time had been just north of 22.00.

With the likes of Sullivan destroying the 50 free over long course, and Cesar Cielo making 18 routine in the 50 free over short course yards, Beijing should see some incredible swimming.

World Record Progression
Courtesy of USA Swimming
23.70 Klaus Steinback FRG Freiburg 7/23/1979
23.66 Chris Cavanaugh USA Amersfoort 2/2/1980
22.83p Bruce Stahl USA Austin 4/10/1980
22.83p Joe Bottom USA Honolulu 8/15/1980
22.71 Joe Bottom USA Honolulu 8/15/1980
22.54p Robin Leamy USA Brown Deer 8/15/1981
22.52 Dano Halsall SUI Bellinzona 7/21/1985
22.40 Tom Jager USA Austin 12/6/1985
22.33 Matt Biondi USA Orlando 6/26/1986
22.33 Matt Biondi USA Clovis 7/30/1987
22.32* Tom Jager USA Brisbane 8/13/1987
22.23 Tom Jager USA Orlando 3/25/1988
22.14 Matt Biondi USA Seoul 9/24/1988
22.12 Tom Jager USA Tokyo 8/20/1989
21.98p Tom Jager USA Nashville 3/24/1990
21.81 Tom Jager USA Nashville 3/24/1990
21.64 Alexander Popov RUS Moscow 6/1/2000
21.56 Eamon Sullivan AUS Sopac 2/17/2008
21.50sf Alain Bernard FRA Eindhoven 3/23/2008
21.41sf Eamon Sullivan AUS Sydney 3/27/2008
21.28 Eamon Sullivan AUS Sydney 3/28/2008

Women's 200 back finals
Meagen Nay, who broke the Australian record during semis, took aim at the Commonwealth record in the women's 200 back to smash the record with a 2:08.55. She had company as Belinda Hocking rocketed into second with a swift time of 2:08.93. Teenage prodigy Emily Seebohm missed adding another Beijing swim with a third-place 2:10.10.

"That was one of the best races of my life, I didn't feel my shoulder and everything just kind of came together," Nay told Swimming Australia.

Men's 100 fly finals
Andrew Lauterstein qualified for Beijing in the 100 fly when he won the event in 51.91, only .1 seconds off Michael Klim's 1999 Commonwealth record of 51.81. Adam Pine, meanwhile, placed second in 52.13.

"I've never put so much effort into anything in my life, even though I've only been around for years," Lauterstein told Swimming Australia.

Women's 800 free finals
Kylie Palmer dominated the women's distance event with a time of 8:24.30, just more than a second off the 1988 Commonwealth record of 8:22.93 set by Julie McDonald. Melissa Gorman grabbed second place with a time of 8:36.23.

Women's 50 free semis
Teenage phenom Cate Campbell snatched the Commonwealth record with a sterling time of 24.30 to lead qualifying. Alice Mills (24.97), Libby Trickett (25.07) and Sophie Edington (25.12) rounded out the top four.

Men's 50 breast finals
Brenton Rickard notched a lifetime-best effort of 27.30 to set the Commonwealth record by more than half-a-second, while Christian Sprenger clocked a 28.36 to finish second, just ahead of Karl Wurzer's 28.84. Rickard's time actually came close to Oleg Lisogor's world record of 27.18.

"To do it by half a second and come so close to the world record was honestly, really, really surprising," Rickard told Swimming Australia. "It was good that the selection events have finished and the pressure was over and I could just relax, take my time with warm-ups and just get in there and have a go."

Women's 50 fly finals
Marieke Guehrer snared the sprint fly title when she hit the pad in 26.48, while Danni Miatke placed second in 26.61.

Men's 50 back semis
Ashley Delaney topped qualifying with a time of 25.34, while Matt Welsh (25.62), Hayden Stoeckel (25.90) and Robert Hurley (26.12) will accompany Delaney in the center of the pool during finals.

Women's 50 breast semis
With Leisel Jones sitting out the sprint event, Tarnee White owned the semifinal round with a time of 30.60, just off Jade Edmistone's world record time of 30.31. Edmistone, meanwhile, placed second in 31.61 with Sarah Katsoulis (31.93) and Kristy Morrison (32.10) comprising the rest of the top four spots.

Women's 400 medley relay
Grace Loh (1:03.10), Leisel Jones (1:06.50), Alanna Tanner (1:02.66) and Shayne Reese (55.90) won the event in 4:08.16.

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