NSW State Championships, Night 3 Finals: Teen Machine Mollie O’Callaghan Reveals Tokyo Sadness That is Driving Her To Paris

by Ian Hanson - Oceania Correspondent

17 March 2024, 04:51am

NSW State Championships, Night 3 FINALS: Teen Machine Mollie O’Callaghan Reveals The  Tokyo Sadness That is Driving Her To Paris

Australian teenage swimming sensation Mollie O’Callaghan has tonight revealed her sadness at missing out on the two freestyle relay finals teams at the Tokyo Olympics, saying it is the driving force keeping her motivated to be part of the relays for Paris, the second time around.

“I always think back to that moment of the 4x100m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle (finals) in Tokyo and watching what I missed out on, and I want to be a part of that this time around,” said O’Callaghan, now the world champion and world record holder after winning that event, the 200m freestyle on final night of the 2024 NSW State Championships in Sydney.

“It was very sad for me really…but that is one of my main drives…. It has really driven me to this point and I’m always pushing for more.

MIXED RELAY GOLD: Mollie O’Callaghan (right) with Jack Cartwright, Kyle Chalmers and Madi Wilson celebrate in Fukuoka Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr Swimming Australia.

“Heading into my first Olympics it was a bit of a surprise to be honest; I wasn’t meant to make the team… I was just happy enough to be on the team and experiencing that and taking the good and the bad.”

Mollie O’Callaghan swam key legs in the heats of both freestyle relays and also the women’s 4×100 medley relay but sat in the grandstand watching and cheering her teammates on to win gold in the 4x100m freestyle in world record time , gold in the 4x100m medley and bronze behind China and the USA in the 4x200m.

But ever since, O’Callaghan has more than cemented herself in every Australian relay team, helping the Dolphins quartets win relay golds and silvers at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships in Budapest and Fukuoka not only in both the 4x100m and 4x200m women’s freestyle relays but also the Mixed freestyle relay –  in world record times.

O’Callaghan also swimming the freestyle leg in Australia’s silver medal winning 4x100m medley relay teams – for a total of eight gold and four silvers from two World Championship campaigns.

The 19-year-old has also won three individual world championships (two in the 100m freestyle in 2022 and 2023 and the 200m also in 2023, in her first individual world record time in the 200m freestyle, beating 22-year-old Olympic champion and St Peters Western training partner Ariarne Titmus.

An arrival that has the name “Mollie O” on the lips of her rivals, her rival’s coaches and the worldwide swimming media.

O’Callaghan wrapped up her NSW State campaign with a convincing win in the 200m freestyle, clocking a solid 1:54.76, with Titmus (after hard-fought wins in the 400 and 800m freestyle) second in 1:55.81.

(O’Callaghan has now swum two times faster than this year’s Doha World Championship winning time swum by Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey in 1:54.89, but who will be one of the big improvers to beat in Paris, after clocking the season’s fastest time of 1:54.08 at last year’s World Cup.)

O’Callaghan and Titmus were followed home in the 200m by Griffith University’s 21-year-old Lani Pallister(who chased Titmus in those two gruelling affairs over 400 and 800m), third in a personal best time of 1:55.92 – her first time under 1:56.00 as she targets the 4x200m as well as the 400, 800 and 1500m at the June Trials for Paris.

Her coach Michael Bohl declaring before the meet that Pallister was preparing for the 200 as she “wants in” on the 4x200m  freestyle relay – her time the third fastest by an Australian this season with O’Callaghan (1:54.36 at the Queensland Championships in December) and Titmus (1:55.81).

FREE RELAY GOLD: Mollie O with Shayna Jack, Meg Harris and Emma McKeon with world record smiles after 4x100m freestyle gold in Fukuoka. Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Fourth home in the 200m freestyle was Pallister’s training partner, the ever-present backstroking queen Kaylee McKeown, who was also in personal best form, clocking 1:56.06 – also potentially on paper putting herself in the 4x200m freestyle picture – although the Olympic program clash with McKeown’s 200m backstroke heats and semi-finals on the same day would more than likely preclude her.

With McKeown on the list there are currently nine Australian girls in the serious contender frame for 4x200m freestyle spots, and the Trials are likely to throw even more names into the mix in the race on just to make the top eight final spots.

Australia’s potential 4x200m freestyle squad will likely come from these nine.

Mollie O’Callaghan (1:52.85 WR)

Ariarne Titmus (1:53.01)

Shayna Jack (1:55.37)

Lani Pallister (1:55.92)

Kiah Melverton (1:55.94)

Brianna Throssell (1:56.00)

Kaylee McKeown (1:56.06)

Leah Neale (1:56.08) and;

Meg Harris (1:56.29)

Asked about the depth in the event for Paris, O’Callaghan said: “It’s phenomenal at the moment. It could be anyone’s game. All the girls are looking quite ‘on’ and it’s nice to see a lot of improvement and it gives us a lot of confidence leading into the Olympics.”

Meanwhile,” Miss Perpetual Motion” McKeown added wins in the 50m backstroke in 27.25 and the 200IM in 2:08.84 to her world class performances in the 100m backstroke (57.57) and the 200m backstroke (2:04.21) – from a total of 10 races including heats and finals across a busy three days.

Other winners included:

BIRMINGHAM Commonwealth Games finalist Abbey Connor (USC Spartans) who has swum her way into Paris contention with a personal best time of 2:06.59 (ninth fastest Australian) in what was a happy home coming for the 18-year-old former Sydney schoolgirl, who has resurrected her career under coach Mick Palfrey on the Queensland Sunshine Coast.

PARIS medal contender Matt Temple (Marion, SA) who has posted another world class time of 50.61 – coming after his Australian record time of 50.25 at the Japan Open last November. With Shaun Champion (Abbotsleigh, NSW) next in 51.97, followed Ben Armbruster (Bond, QLD) next in 52.50 and Cody Simpson (Griffith University) 52.78. He was later second in 22.37 behind Commonwealth Games teammate Thomas Nowakowski (USC Spartans) 22.09 in the 50m freestyle, with Jamie Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) – Shayna’s brother – third in 22.45.

EMERGING 15-year-old Albury Amateur, NSW prospect Sienna Toohey has turned her silver in the 100m breaststroke (1:07.97pb) into gold to win her first NSW Open title in another pb of 31.34 ahead of Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 31.64 and Mia O’Leary (Bond) 31.70.

FORMER world record holder Matthew Wilson (SOSC, NSW) hitting his straps in winning the 200m breaststroke in 2:09.87 – his fastest time since the Tokyo Trials in 2021 and his first time under 2:10.00 in almost three years – encouraging signs he is on track for the Paris Trials in Brisbane in June, WHILE;

WILL YANG (SOSC. NSW) added the 100m backstroke to his encouraging 100m freestyle win on night one, in a time of 54.88, from Lewis Blackburn (St Andrews, QLD) 55.32 and Tokyo Olympian and 200m winner Se-Bom Lee (SOSC, NSW) third in 55.88 and;

SYDNEY OLYMPIC SWIM CLUB team mate, Matthew Galea, also under coach Adam Kable, adding the 1500m freestyle title to his win last night in the 800m, clocking 15:11.75 from 400m winner Benjamin Goedemans (St Peters Western, QLD) 15.25.96 and Lachlan Walker (Bond, QLD) 15:40.35.

Subscribe

Login

Notify of

new follow-up comments new replies to my comments

Label

{} [+]

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Label

{} [+]

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

2 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Personal Best

1 month ago

Great, recaps, thanks!
It was a great weekend of racing… shaping up to be an exciting trials for Australia.

1

Reply

Michal Stead

1 month ago

Loving your swimming in-depth coverage the last 6 months.
so much talent we have in Australia.
Paris 2024

1

Reply