McLoughlin and Melverton clinch freestyle doubles as Stubblety-Cook continues career best form

Rio Olympian Jack McLoughlin and prospective 2020 Olympians Kiah Melverton and Zac Stubblety-Cook showed they mean business in Brisbane tonight in what is shaping up as a frantic fight to make it to Tokyo next year.

McLoughlin (Chandler) and Melverton (TSS Aquatics) led from the outset to record impressive victories in their respective 400m freestyle finals while Stubblety-Cook (Chandler) continued his career best form to clock his second best personal best time of the meet in the 100m breaststroke final, upsetting Rio Olympian Jake Packard.

The women’s 400m freestyle saw Melverton, a World Championship finalist and last night’s 200m freestyle winner continue her impressive racing of late, scoring an all-the-way win in 4:07.12 (58.97; 2:01.19; 3:04.71).

The Chris Nesbit-coached Melverton has only just returned from the US Open meet in Atlanta, Georgia where she raced the world’s greatest women’s freestyler Katie Ledecky, finishing second over 1500 and 800m.

Kareena Lee with coach John Rodgers and Nick Sloman. Photo Courtesy: Hanson Media

One competitor who is already on the team, Kareena Lee (Noosa), Australia’s first selection on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic team for the 10km open water marathon, powered home to finish second in an impressive personal best of 4:09.56.

She is looming as a realistic chance to also push for a place on the pool team, especially in the women’s 1500m freestyle.

McLoughlin, the Commonwealth Games 1500m freestyle gold medallist, also showed he means business as he flew out of the blocks and was never headed in the 400 metres freestyle final – adding gold medal number two for the meet after his last gasp 200m freestyle win on night one.

McLoughlin, the World Ranked No 8, clocked a solid 3:46.28 (53.39; 1:50.59); 2:48.80) working hard over the first 200m of his race, with New Zealander Zac Reid (3:49.42) finishing second and Australian World Championship open water swimmer Nick Sloman (Noosa) third in 3:53.74.

He will be Australia’s number one contender for a crack at his second Olympic 1500m, after just missing the final in Rio.

The 24-year-old is flourishing under master coach Vince Raleigh and the win celebrated Raleigh’s elevation to Life Member of ADCTA Queensland at the start of the session.

Sloman has his sights on the 10km open water marathon and joining Noosa teammate Lee, on the team in Tokyo. Both Sloman and Lee are coached by legendary Olympic coach John Rodgers.

Stubblety-Cook continued his career best form on night two of the QLD State Swimming Championships at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre tonight.

Stubblety-Cook clocked a personal best time of 59.83 – his first time under the minute and the fifth fastest time by an Australian.

It followed his Queensland State Open and All-Comers record of 2:07.28 in the 200m breaststroke last night.

The Vince Raleigh coached Stubblety-Cook over powered Rio Olympian Jake Packard (USC Spartans) 1:00.62 in the swim to the wall with another Chandler swimmer, 2018 Commonwealth Games representative Liam Hunter third in 1:01.27.

Zac Stubblety-Cook…a name to remember. Photo Courtesy: Medal Shots.

It was also a big night for the next generation with the swim of the night coming from Elizabeth Dekkers , who is coached by Steve Miller at Brisbane’s, Newmarket Racers Swim Club.

The baby of this year’s Australian Junior World Championship Team in Budapest broke three records in one swim – clocking an eye-catching 2:08.51 to take the 15-years 200m butterfly final – and a whopping 1.91 seconds off all records.

Dekkers erased her own Australian and Queensland Age records, set at the World Championships and claimed Olympic silver medallist Maddie Groves’ 2010 Queensland All-Comers record – a good indication of just how goo it was.

Australia’s next generation of sprint freestylers were also on show tonight with St Peters Western trio, led by Mollie O’Callaghan (54.77) who broke Commonwealth Games relay gold medallist Shayna Jack’s 15-years 2013 Queensland All-Comers record of 54.80 and followed by teammates Ella Ramsay (55.69) and Paris Burlock (56.39), sweeping the field.

O’Callaghan’s time would have won the open 100m freestyle later in the night, also won by another St Peters Western swimmer, also a World Junior representative, Meg Harris (55.30) from Seoyeong Kim (Korea) 55.50 and Nagisa Okemoto (Japan) 55.52.

The men’s open 100m freestyle saw Japan’s Katsumi Nakamura (48.98) the only swimmer under 49 to take the win from former Australian World Championship swimmer Louis Townsend (Rackley Swim Team) 49.38 and 2019 World Championship relay gold medallist Clyde Lewis (St Peters Western) 49.95.

Meanwhile in the women’s open 100m butterfly, Yui Ohashi (Japan) clocked 58.58 to win by the narrowest of margins from Seoyeong Kim (Korea) 58.59 with Japan’s Ai Soma third in 59.16.

The men’s final was almost as close with the win going to China’s Hao Yun in 53.01 from Australia’s Rio Olympian David Morgan (TSS Aquatic) 53.16 with Theodoros Benehoutsos (Melbourne Vicentre) 53.41.

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Sam

4 years ago

And 17 year old Tom Neill did a 3.48 in 400 free which would have earned silver in the open