Sullivan Enters Sub-49 Club in 100 Free, Schipper Comes Up Just Short of WR in 200 Fly at Aussie National Champs

By Jason Marsteller

BRISBANE, Australia, December 7. EAMON Sullivan entered the elite club of sub-49 second Aussies in the 100 free, while Jessicah Schipper could not keep up her world-record pace to fall just short of lowering her own standard in the 200 fly on Wednesday at the Australian Long Course Championships. Meanwhile, Tay Zimmer doubled her backstroke gold at the Chandler Aquatic Center.

Men's 200 IM Finals
Leith Brodie grabbed his second straight Australian 200 IM national title in 2:01.19, just missing his previous national-championship best of 2:01.13 set on Feb. 3, 2006. Adam Lucas placed second in 2:01.72, while Travis Nederpelt earned third in 2:02.39.

"I'm still hurting from last night when I had a bit of a go at the record," Brodie said. "I stuck to my race plan and just died a bit in the final stages and couldn't go on with it."

Brodie led wire-to-wire when he picked up nearly a second lead over second-place finisher Lucas at the initial 50-meter mark and only once saw his advantage fall to within a half-second at the 150-meter mark.

Men's 100 Freestyle Finals
Eamon Sullivan made the Australian sub-49 club a fivesome when he clocked a 48.97 to win his initial Australian national title in the 100 free. Previously, only Olympic gold medalists Michael Klim, Ian Thorpe, Chris Fydler and Ashley Callus had surpassed the 49-second barrier for the Aussies.

"My back was playing up last week and I had a day off and then had a few days rest but I was still able to come here and swim a PB so I'm very happy," Sullivan said. "I haven't really had the best run; I've had three hip operations in two years and six years of shoulder problems and been in and out of the water.

Meanwhile, Callus took home silver in 49.30, while Kenrick Monk placed third in 49.79.

"This is probably one of the better preparations I've had so it's a good sign to know that in the year coming; hopefully I might have a better run," Sullivan said. "I really want to use this as a stepping stone for World Championships and I was able to swim fast, so hopefully if I can get a better run into World Champs."

Women's 200 Butterfly Finals
World record holder Jessicah Schipper went after her global standard in the 200 fly, but came up just .62 seconds short with a first-place 2:06.02 – the ninth-fastest time ever in the event.

Schipper took her race out fast, standing .16 seconds under her record pace at the 100-meter mark, before falling .01 seconds off her pace at the 150-meter mark.

"It was a bit faster than what I expected I'd go so I'm really happy with it," Schipper said. "I could hear the crowd going nuts again, they were getting louder as I was going and I tried my hardest but in the end it wasn't quite good enough. It was a great swim, I went faster than I expected but I will have to work on my back end."

In other action, Felicity Galvez had the best seat in the house with a second-place 2:08.93, while Alicia Coutts rounded out the podium with a 2:09.71 clocking.

Women's 50 Backstroke Finals
Tay Zimmer doubled up her backstroke gold with a win in the sprint event. After tying 14-year-old Emily Seebohm in the 100 back on Tuesday, Zimmer rocketed to a personal-best time of 28.53 to earn gold in the 50.

Sophie Edington touched second in 28.65, while the backstroke prodigy Seebohm took bronze in a personal-best 28.80.

Women's 800 Freestyle Relay Finals
The Redcliffe Leagues/Lawnton team of Kylie Palmer, Jessicah Schipper, Melissa Gorman and Jo-lene Dendle took home gold with an Aussie-club record of 8:10.97, surpassing the 8:13.39 the club set on Feb. 1, 2006.

Meanwhile, St. Peters Western's foursome of Lorren Sellwood, Siobhan Keane, Maddison Allen and Stephanie Rice placed second in 8:17.43, while the Miami contingent of Ellen Fullerton, Dana Wikaire, Jade Neilsen and Amelia Evatt-Davey finished third in 8:18.97.

Multi-Disability Events
13-year-old Samantha Gandolfo won the women's 50 back in 36.69, while Damien Narbeshuber touched first in the men's 50 back in 30.74.

Women's 100 Freestyle Semi-Finals
Jodie Henry and Libby Lenton set up a potentially epic final battle as Henry clocked a top-time of 54.10 in semis, while Lenton posted the second-quickest effort of 54.27. Linda Mackenzie came through with the third-fastest time of 55.25.

"I didn't feel all that crash hot when I dived in and I just tried to get out there faster than what I did this morning and try and hold on. My legs went a little bit but hopefully it'll be a different story tomorrow night. I'm happy with the time," Henry said.

Lenton also could not wait for tomorrow night's final in the 100 free.

"It actually felt comfortable and strong. I was really hoping to go a low 54 tonight and I wasn't sure if it was possible but I'm happy to have time to freshen up a bit more. I'm really happy with the time," Lenton said.

Men's 200 Breaststroke Semi-Finals
Jim Piper posted the fastest time of the semi-final round in the 200 breast when he clocked a 2:14.20. That time stood just .32 seconds ahead of Brenton Rickard's second-place 2:14.52 in what is shaping up to be a two-man race. Robert McDonald finished in a distant third with a 2:16.41 clocking.

Women's 200 Breaststroke Semi-Finals
Leisel Jones will be looking for another world record and her seventh straight Aussie title in the 200 breast after cruising home with a top-time of 2:23.94. Sally Foster placed second in 2:28.60, while Sarah Katsoulis took third in 2:29.69.

So far this year, Jones' semi-final time has only been eclipsed by herself and China's Qi Hui – who clocked a 2:23.93 to win gold at the Asian Games yesterday.

Men's 200 Backstroke Semi-Finals
Hayden Stoeckel captured the top-qualifying time by hitting the wall in 2:00.42, while Ephraim Hannant stopped the clock in 2:00.73 for the second-best time. Daniel Arnamnart posted the third-quickest time of 2:02.66.

Aussie sprinter 2005 Aust Champs - 50m fly final

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