Nick Sloman Defends Australian Open Water Title

Noosa’s Nick Sloman successfully defended his Men’s 10km Open Water title at the 2019 Australian Open Water Championship at Brighton Beach in Adelaide, with training teammate Kareena Lee claiming her first Open Women’s title.

Sloman touched for gold in a time of 1:53:07.09 and in a tight race for silver and bronze, TSS Aquatic’s Kai Edwards claimed silver in 1:53.12 38 and Kawana Water’s Bailey Armstrong took the bronze in 1:53.14.25.

The Men’s 10km Open and 18 and 19-year-old Boy’s race combined, to see them hit the water first on Australia Day.

In the Boy’s 18-year-olds race, recent Pier to Pub winner, Lawnton’s Hayden Cotter, claimed gold in 1:53:12.63 and also touched third overall, while Jack Wilson (Breakers WA) received silver in 1:53:33.67 and North Coast’s Byron Kimber picked up bronze in 1:53:34.57.

By securing a top-four finish, Sloman, Edwards, Cotter and Armstrong earned themselves a spot on the team that will travel to Doha for the first leg of the FINA Marathon Swim World Series. This race forms part of the qualification process for the FINA World Championships in Korea later this year.

Perth City’s Reilly Kennedy (1:53:52) took out gold in the Boy’s 19-year-olds race with Riley Clout and Adam Sudlow picking up the silver and bronze respectively in 1:54:17.99 and 2:00:56.73.

In the Women’s Open event, coming home behind Lee (2:03.50.08) to claim second and third, were international swimmers Yan Siyu (2:05:36.15) and Dong Fuwei (2:05:49.61) from China.

The Gubecka sisters, Chloe and Chelsea (last year’s title holder), received the silver and bronze respectively as the second and third placed Australian swimmers in the Open event.

The 18 and 19-year-old girls also swam with the Women’s 10km Open water competitors in the second race of the day.

Claiming gold in the 18-year-old’s race was Kawana Waters’ Mackenzie Brazier (2:05:55.71) – who also touched third overall – while Nudgee College’s Jessica Mouatt (2:08:17.61) took silver and Perth City’s Kelsey Eastwood (2:13:15.12) picked up bronze.

Brazier, along with Lee and the Gubecka sisters have also been selected to travel to Doha in May for the FINA Marathon Swim World Series.

The Kawana Waters club also picked up the gold in the Girl’s 19-year-olds race with Madisyn Armstrong (2:06:53.61) finishing first, Yeronga Park’s Laura Brosnan (2:08:30.25) claiming silver and Miami’s Jade Slee (2:12.17.26) the bronze.

In the final race of the day the Boys and Girls 16 and 17-year-olds made their way out to the course for the 7.5km race.

Ruben Rees from Miami secured gold in 1:30:33.85 in the Boy’s 16-year-olds race, followed by silver medallist Thomas Raymond (1:30:46.23) from Nudgee College and bronze medallist Kolby Gubecka (1:30:54.25) from Kawana Waters.

In the Boy’s 17-year-olds race Bunbury’s Kyle Lee (1:30:46.33) won gold with international swimmer William Thorley from Hong Kong touching in second.

Kawana Waters’ Zachary Bromage (1:30:52.49) and Manly’s Logan Kaye (1:32:00.05) won silver and bronze respectively as the second and third Australians to finish.

Chloe Green (1:40:11.79) from Perth City took home gold in the Girl’s 17-year-olds race with Isabella Coghlan (1:44:03.66) from Randwick City and Kiera Warn (1:49:14.15) from Revesby Workers receiving the bronze.

The gold medal in the Girl’s 16-year-olds race went to Miami’s Sara Tazaki (1:41:03.44), with Ashley Finegan (1:42:09.42) from the University of NSW and Hayley Rowlands (1:44:18.69) taking the silver and bronze respectively.

Meanwhile, the coaches selected to accompany the team to Doha for the first leg of the FINA Marathon Swim World Series include: Noosa’s John Rogers, Kawana Waters’ Michael Sage, Lawnton’s Harley Connolly and Yeronga Park’s Rob Van der Zant.

Day two of the 2019 Australian Open Water Championship begins tomorrow at 7:30am, with the Boys 14 & 15 years 5km and the Girls 14 & 15 years 5km swim kicking off the action.

Check out more open water coverage here.

— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Swimming Australia. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

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Michael Pollock

5 years ago

How do they protect the swimmers from sharks?