Queensland Championships, Day 2 Heats: Shoulder Injury Forces Mollie O’Callaghan Out Of The Meet; Woomin Kim Disqualified In 200m Freestyle
In an eventful morning at the Hancock Prospecting Queensland Championships, Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan has withdrawn from the meet with a shoulder injury with Korean world champion Woomin Kim disqualified from the men’s 200m freestyle final.
O’Callaghan, who has been battling her shoulder problems in the back end of 2025, revealed yesterday that she would not be taking her place in her home-town State Championships.
TIME TO REST AND RECOVER: Mollie O’Callaghan before withdrawing from the 200m freestyle final in Brisbane today. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan (Swimming Queensland).
But the 21-year-old arrived at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre this morning and lined up in the heats of the women’s 200m freestyle, clocking the fastest qualifying time of the day, 1:57.77, before withdrawing from the final and informing meet officials she was also withdrawing from the rest of the meet.
Her St Peters Western teammate and fellow 4x200m freestyle world champion, Jamie Perkins also withdrew from the 200m freestyle, she too citing shoulder soreness which could well rule her out for the rest of the week also.
O’Callaghan, who along with Perkins, swam in the victorious Australian team in Friday night’s Duel Meet against a visiting World Team, where she won the 50m Freestyle Skins, said yesterday it was time to give her ailing shoulder some time off.
“My shoulder is inflamed…and it’s having a bit of a tough time so it’s time to rest and recover before getting back on track,” said O’Callaghan, who noted her issue would not require surgery.
O’Callaghan confirming she was setting her sights on next year’s Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships and the World Short Course Championships in China.
With O’Callaghan’s withdrawal, tonight’s women’s final will see her Paris Olympic gold medal teammates Meg Harris (1:58.38) and Lani Pallister (1:58.44) take the fastest two qualifying lanes with Brazil’s Maria Fernanda Costa (1:58.99) the only other swimmer under 1:59.00.
Kim’s disqualification for moving at the start of heat two of the men’s 200m freestyle, robs tonight’s final of a major player in a final that will feature visiting 2021 Olympic silver medalist and two-time Olympic relay gold medallist Duncan Scott (GBR) and fellow internationals Lewis Clareburt (NZL) and Korea’s Hojoon Lee.
Scott coming off last week’ 200m freestyle win at the European Short Course Championships and Friday night’s 50m Freestyle Skins for The World Team.
FAST ED: Ed Sommerville shows the style that sees him the fastest qualifier in the men’s 200m freestyle. Photo Courtesy Swimming Australia.
The Australian contingent will be led by Singapore World Championship debutant and recent Japan Open winner, Ed Sommerville (Brisbane Grammar) who comes into the final as the fastest qualifier in a solid 1:47.13 ahead of Scott (1:47.38) and Rackley Olympian and world champion Sam Short (1:47.43).
Just over half-a-second separating the first seven qualifiers – with Kiwi IMer Clareburt (1.47.56), World Championship 200m butterfly bronze medallist Harrison Turner (Nudgee) 1:47.58, Lee (1:47.71) and Kai Taylor (St Peters Western) 1:47.75 all in the mix in what could well be the pick of the second day’s finals.
A great field assembled for the A final and an equally top-heavy field in the B Final with Tokyo Olympic gold medallist and Scott’s two-time British Olympic relay team mate Tom Dean, joined by Paris 400m freestyle silver medallist Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western) and Paris Olympic 200m finalist Max Giuliani (Sydney University, NSW).
Meanwhile 2021 Olympic champion Zac Stubblety Cook (Griffith University) is the quickest qualifier for the men’s 200m breaststroke in 2:12.78 ahead of Korea’s Dongyeol Choi (2:14.92) and Joshua Anderson (Brisbane Grammar) 2:14.97 with visiting British swimmer Angharad Evans (2:26.16) snatching lane four in the women’s final ahead of Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicente) 2:26.24 and Paris Olympian Ella Ramsay (Griffith University) 2:26.35.
ABREAST OF THE TIMES: Zac Stubblety-Cook chasing another Queensland title in Brisbane tonight.Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan (Swimming Queensland).
In the 100m backstroke events, 2004 World Championship medalists and Paris Olympians Iona Anderson (Highlanders,WA) 1:00.51 and Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:00.70 will go into the final ranked 1 and 2 ahead of British visitor and 2025 European Short Course champion Lauren Cox (1:01.26), while Korean Juho Lee (54,36) was the quickest ion the men’s heats ahead of 17-year-old Australian rising star Henry Allan (East Bendigo, VIC) 54.40 and Kalani Ireland (Somerville House, QLD) 55.22.
TAKE OFF: Lani Pallister in full cry at the Hancock Prospecting Queensland Championships. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan (Swimming Queensland).