Matt Welsh Takes Two, Kasoulis Scores Big Upset on Day Four of Victoria Champs Down Under

By Phillip Whitten

MELBOURNE, Vic., Australia, January 5. WORLD record-holder Matt Welsh, 27, sprinted to two victories today on Day Four of the Victoria Age & Open Championship at the Melbourne Aquatic Center.

Welsh took the 50m back in 25.79 seconds, shaving four-hundredths off his own All-Comers mark set four years ago. Olympic Team teammate Josh Watson was second in 26.11, just ahead of 16 year-old Andrew Lauterstein, who upset both veterans yesterday in the 100m back, in 26.17.

Welsh came back less than an hour later to win the 50m fly — the event in which he set a WR in Barcelona last July — in 24.85. Close behind were Josh Taylor (24.88) and Lauterstein (24.92).

Sarah Kasoulis scored a stunning upset when she came from more than half a second behind (32.80 to 32.26) to nip Brooke Hanson in the women's 100m breast, 1:08.22 to 1:08.28. Both women smashed the Victoria state mark of 1:08.62 by Hanson and the All-Comers standard of 1:08.89 by Leisel Jones.

Hanson redeemed herself several events later when she stroked to victory with an All-Comers record of 2:16.58 in the 200m IM. The old mark, 2:16.73, was set 13 years ago by Elli Overton. Lara Carroll, 17, was second in 2:18.26.

In other highlights;
Brenton Rickard won the men's 50m breast in 28.63, with Jim Piper second in 28.99 and Nate Crook third in 29.03.

Haylee Redaway, 16, cruised to victory in the 800 free in 8:52.86, nine seconds ahead of her nearest pursuer.

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