Twenty Named to Swimming Australia 2018 World Championship Roster

Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia/Delly Carr

Swimming Australia has announced a 20-strong squad for the upcoming FINA World Short Course Championships in Hangzhou, China in December.

The team was named after three days of swimming at the Hancock Prospecting Australian Short Course Championships held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Making their Australian Dolphins debut after solid swims in Melbourne this weekend are Nicholas Brown (UWA West Coast), Abbey Harkin (St Peters Western), Jorden Merrilees (Melbourne VicCentre) and Jenna Strauch (Bond), Cameron Jones (St Peters Western) David Schlicht (MLC), and Greyson Bell (TSS Aquatic).

Brown swam to victory in the 200m butterfly on night one of the qualifying meet with Harkin taking out the 400m individual medley on the same night.

Merilees qualified for the team with his second place in the men’s 200m backstroke on Friday night along with Strauch whose win in the 200m breaststroke clinched her place.

Jones made the qualifying time in men’s 50m freestyle, with Schlicht making the time for selection following his silver in the men’s 400m IM.

The team is also bolstered by the inclusion of triple Olympian and experienced short course campaigner Emily Seebohm (Brisbane Grammar), who picked up her 31st Australian short course title this weekend cementing her place as the Australian record holder.

Thomas Fraser-Holmes also makes his return to international swimming following his suspension, after his win in the men’s 400m IM on the final night of swimming.

Australian Head Coach Jacco Verhaeren said the team is a good mix of experience and athletes early in their careers.

“We are half way into the Olympic cycle so this team will get some good race experience and take a lot out of being on team and training and preparing with this group of athletes. It is great to have the leadership of some really experienced multi-campaigners like Emily, Cam, and Mitch. To have athletes with that experience on team is a real plus for everyone.

It is also fantastic to see Cam McEvoy make a return to the Dolphins team after three months working with his new coach Chris Nesbit. Short Course is an event that is growing in attention internationally and we will face very tough competition in China from other nations who have well established short course swimmers.”

Verhaeren also confirmed the coaches selected to travel with the team are David Lush (Brisbane Grammar), Dean Boxall (St Peters Western), Chris Nesbit (TSS Aquatic) and Scott Talbot (Nunawading).

“It is always our goal to lift our performances from these selection events to major international meets and this group of coaches will add great value and guidance in achieving this,” he added.

The following swimmers made themselves unavailable for selection for the World Short Course Championships due to different priorities in their training and competition plans: Kyle Chalmers (Marion) Jack McLoughlin (Chandler), Lani Pallister (Alexandra Headland), Elijah Winnington (Bond), Matthew Wilson (SOPAC), Emma McKeon (Griffith Uni) and Laura Taylor (Bond).

The team leaves for China on December 6 with racing to begin on December 11.

Full Australian Dolphins Short Course World Championship Team:

Name	Club	Qualifying event
Minna Atherton	Brisbane Grammar	100m, 200m backstroke
Holly Barratt	Rockingham	50m freestyle
Grayson Bell	TSS Aquatic	50m breaststroke
Nicholas Brown	UWA West Coast	200m butterfly
Carla Buchanan	Acacia Bayside	400m freestyle
Jack Gerrard	Melbourne Vicentre	Relay only swimmer
Alexander Graham	Bond	200m freestyle
Madeleine Gough	TSS Aquatic	800m freestyle
Jessica Hansen	Nunawading	100m breaststroke
Abbey Harkin	St Peters Western	400m IM
Thomas Fraser-Holmes	Griffith University	400m IM
Cameron Jones	St Peters Western	50m freestyle
Mitchell Larkin	St Peters Western	200m IM, 200m backstroke
Cameron McEvoy	TSS Aquatic	100m freestyle,
Jorden Merrilees	Melbourne Vicentre	200m backstroke
Emily Seebohm	Brisbane Grammar	100m, 200m backstroke
David Schlicht	MLC	400 IM
Jenna Strauch	Bond	200m breaststroke
Ariarne Titmus	St Peters Western	400m, 800m freestyle
Louis Townsend	Rackley	100m freestyle

— 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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