Queensland Champs, Finals, Day 5: Lani Pallister Digs Deep For Courageous 1500m Win in 15:49.94
Paris Olympic hopeful Lani Pallister pushed herself to the limit with a courageous solo performance, clocking a world top five time to win the 1500m freestyle on night five of the 2023 Hancock Prospecting Queensland Swimming Championships. tonight.
HIT THE WALL: Lani Pallister pushed herself to the limit. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photography
The 21-year-old from Griffith University powered home over the last 100m in 1:02.84 – the final 50m in 30.53 (the fastest of the 30x50s) to touch the wall in 15:49.94 ((2:01.66; 4:07.47; 8:20.65) – just outside the time she swam to finish fifth at the World Championships in Fukuoka this year, in a race won by greatest female swimmer in history in Katie Ledecky.
And well and truly under the Paris Olympic qualifying time of 16:01.95 she has to swim at the Australian Trials in the same Brisbane Aquatic Centre pool next June.
Pallister is the current World Short Course champion over 400, 800 and 1500m – swam her personal best time (15:48.96) back in 2022 when she won bronze behind Ledecky at the World’s in Budapest.
Her time tonight, just 3.81secs shy of Maddy Gough’s 2021 Australian record of 15:46.13.
St Peters Western trio Tokyo finalist Kiah Melverton (16:10.56), Olympic 800m silver medallist Ariarne Titmus 16:13.46) and their training partner from New Zealand Eve Thomas (16:19.70) were second, third and fourth respectively with already selected 10km marathon swimmer Chelsea Gubecka (16:36.64) fifth home.
In the men’s 800m it was Australian record holder Sam Short (Rackley Swim Team) who held the fast finishing World Championship, Doha-bound Elijah Winnington at bay to add a second gold at this meet to his win in the 400m earlier in the week – Short cruising to the win in 7:47.35 (55.33; 1:53.53; 3:51.69) from Winnington 7:49.98 (55.26; 1:53.97; 3:53.09) and Matthew Galea (SOPAC NSW) 8:03.82 (55.87; 1:55.31; 3:57.41).
The two 400m world champions, Winnington (2022) and Short (2023) are poised to stage a host of neck-and-neck battles as they set themselves for the Paris Trials at the Brisbane Aquatic centre next June and they will be towing the likes of 22-year-old Adam Kable coached Galea along for the ride.
TOP TWO: Elijah Winnington and Sam Short after the 800m freestyle. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photography