Sydney Sprints (SC): Bronte Campbell Kick-Starts Paris Campaign In Earnest With Impressive 100m Freestyle Win

during the 2nd day of the Sydney Sprints, Australian Short Course Championships held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre in Homebush, 14 September, 2023. Picture: Toby Zerna

FLYING START: Bronte Campbell back in the fast lane at the Sydney Sprints Meet. Photo Courtesy Toby Zerna/SwimAus.

Sydney Sprints (SC): Bronte Campbell Kick Starts Paris Campaign In Earnest With Impressive 100m Freestyle Win

Bronte Campbell has tonight kick-started her road to Paris and her bid for a fourth Olympic team, with an impressive 100m freestyle victory, winning the Australian Short Course title in Sydney, at the ripe old age of 29.

Campbell (Cruiz, ACT) looked strong and sharp – stopping the clock at 52.39 seconds – off the blocks with a slick start and splitting 11.99 and 24.84 before coming back in 13.75 for a second 50 of 27.55 on night two at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

The Shannon Rollason coached Campbell proving too fast and too polished for West Illawarra pair, 19-year-old Sydney Brown (54.17) and Sarah Locke (54.98).

KID CITY: Bronte Campbell the centre of attention at the Sydney Sprints Meet. Photo courtesy Toby Zerna/SwimAus.

Bronte said the Sydney Sprints was a big meet for her as she launches her campaign for next June’s Trials Meet. While her time may have been some two seconds outside big sister Cate’s 2017 world record of 50.25 – it’s just the start with the end game some nine months away – and knowing full well she will have to replicate her short course time over the long course to have any chance of making the Olympic team. (Bronte has a LC personal best of 52.27).

“This was a very important steppingstone towards next year’s Trials with Paris of course the big goal,” Campbell said after her win.

“I’m so proud to be here and see this next generation come through. I’m just enjoying being back in this pool where I’ve had so many great memories.

“As a little kid it was never about winning Olympic gold, it was about wearing the green and gold. And the thought of going to four Games is way bigger than I could have ever dreamt.

“I’m really excited for the next few months coming up to test myself and to get back in that team environment and just being part of it – it’s a really great group of inspirational people and just trying to get myself back in that space.”

And while all-eyes were on Campbell in the women’s 100m freestyle final, they were fixated on Cody Simpson (Griffith University, QLD) in the men’s final and the swimmer-turned pop star turned-swimmer again, didn’t disappoint, winning his second National SC title in a personal best of 47.85 – keeping at bay Knox Pymble (NSW) pair Tomas Kopocius (47.94) in an outside lane and Joel Ivory (48.16).

Simpson had won the 100IM last year – an event he won’t contest this year as he returns to the Gold Coast to continue his training routine.

There were also two slick times swum in the men’s 50m breaststroke with winner Nash Wilkes (Southport, QLD) 26.74 and night one 100m winner Haig Buckingham (SOPAC, NSW) 26.94 clocking the seventh and eighth fastest SC times by Australians as they powered their way into the Top Ten, with Joshua Seignior(Propulsion, VIC) 27.20, third.

Meanwhile, Abbey Webb (Cruiz, ACT) added the 200m backstroke to her opening night gold medal in the 200m backstroke in a time of 2:07.61, just shy of her personal best of 2:07.49 swum in the morning qualifying heats.

Webb powered off the final turn in hot pursuit of an impressive Adriana Fydler (Miami, QLD) who had charged to the lead after the first 100m, Webb just nudging in front under the flags, Fydler finishji8ng second in 2:07.80.

Trinity Grammar, NSW’s Bella Grant, fresh from her triple medal winning efforts at the Junior World Championships in Israel last week, finished strongly for the bronze in 2:08.17.

Fydler, the daughter of Olympians Chris Fydler and Rosie Brown, follows her parents onto the National stage and swimming for her mum’s State out of Miami in Queensland.

The men’s 200m backstroke saw Thomas Hauck (All Saints, QLD) out in front from the outset, adding his second title of the meet after winning the 100m backstroke on night one.

Hauck just missing the 1:53.00 barrier, clocking 1:53.08 – a time just outside the Australian All-Time Top 10, with Carlile’s Marius Boll second in 1:56.65 and Caleb Dryer (Trinity Grammar, NSW) third in 1:57.81.

2023 Australian Short Course Swimming Championships, Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, DAY 2, FINALS:

WOMEN

100m freestyle: Bronte Campbell (Cruiz, ACT) 52.39, Sydney Brown (Wests Illawarra, NSW) 54.17, Sarah Locke (Wests Illawarra, NSW) 54.98

50m breaststroke: Maaike Vrij (Surrey Park, VIC) 31.55, Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC), Sienna Walo (Darwin, NT)/Sophie Martin (Somerville House, QLD) = 31.64

200m backstroke: Abbey Webb (Cruiz, ACT) 2:07.61, Adriana Fydler (Miami, QLD) 2:07.80, Bella Grant (Trinity Grammar, NSW) 2:08.17

400m individual medley: Kayla Hardy (Cruiz, ACT) 4:35.64, Lucy Dring (Sunshine Coat Grammar, QLD) 4:39.06, Emily White (Marion, SA) 4:43.97

50m freestyle MC: Taylor Corry S14 (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins, NSW) 27.54, Madeleine McTernan S14 (Sharks Aquatic, QLD) 27.78, Yasmine-Bell Younes S14 (Bankstown Sports, NSW) 28.97

50m breaststroke MC: Ashley van Rijswijk SB14 (Wagga Wagga, NSW) 35.50, Montana Atkinson SB14 (Helensvale, QLD) 38.55, Anna Leighton SB14 (Ballarat Gold, VIC) 42.55

100m backstroke MC: Madeleine McTernan S14 (Sharks Aquatic, QLD) 1:08.76, Taylor Corry S14 (Kincumber Pacific Dolphins, NSW) 1:09.64, Montana Atkinson SB14 (Helensvale, QLD) 1:13.77.

MEN

50m breaststroke: Nash Wilkes (Southport, QLD) 26.74 Haig Buckingham (SOPAC, NSW) 26.94, Joshua Seignior (Propulsion, VIC) 27.20

100m freestyle: Cody Simpson (Griffith University, QLD) 47.85, Tomas Kapocius (Knox Pymble, NSW) 47.94, Joel Ivory (Knox Pymble, NSW) 48.16

200m backstroke: Thomas Hauck (All Saints, QLD) 1:53.08, Marius Boll (Carlile, NSW) 1:56.65, Caleb Dryer (Trinity Grammar, NSW) 1:57.81

400m individual medley: Oscar Kreutzberger (North Albury, NSW) 4:16.86, Jack Gurrie (Nunawading, VIC) 4:19.04, Harrison Biddle (Marion, SA) 4:20.03

50m freestyle MC: Jack Ireland S14 (University of QLD) 23.85, Ahmed Kelly S3 (Yarra Plenty, VIC) 50.62, Jarred Dyer (Dapto, NSW) 25.42

50m breaststroke MC: Ahmed Kelly SB3 (Yarra Plenty, VIC) 52.38, Riley Moore SB9 (Woy Woy, NSW) 31.14, Dylan Logan SB15 (Geelong, VIC) 32.14

100m backstroke MC: Declan Budd (Knox Pymble, NSW) 1:02.80, Alexander Tuckfield (Southern Sydney, NSW) 1:02.78, Harrison Vg (University of Queensland) 1:04.50

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