Victorian Championships, Night Three Updated: Lani Pallister Going The Distance To Paris; Wins 1500m (15:54.52); 400m (4:03.03) and 200m Freestyle (1:56.63)

GOING THE DISTANCE: Lani Pallister in her happy place. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

Victorian Championships, Night Three: Lani Pallister Going The Distance To Paris; Wins 1500m (15:54.52); 400m (4:03.03) and 200m freestyle (1:56.63)

Australian Olympic hopeful Lani Pallister is ready to go the distance in the countdown to Paris after three impressive world class performances in Melbourne over the last three days.

The determined Queenslander showed why she will do whatever it takes to earn that Qantas boarding pass, stopping the clock in 15 minutes 54.52 seconds (2:05.10; 4:13.45; 8:27.33) to claim the 1500m freestyle on the third and final night of the Victorian State Open Championships.

RECOVERING: Lani Pallister ruled the pool in Melbourne. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

A time that would have seen Pallister win silver at this year’s World Aquatics Championships in Doha, won by Italy’s Simona Quadrella (15:46.99) with China’s Bingjie Li second in 15:56.62 and Germany’s Isabel Gose third in 15.57.55.

The four-time 2022 World Short Course champion (400, 800, 1500, 4x200m) wasted no time showing why is one of the best in the world – opening up an immediate two body length lead after splitting 1:01.03 for the first 100 metres – before settling into 1:04 and 1:03 pace, finishing in 1:02.80 for the final 100m.

Pallister currently sits third behind world record holder and Olympic champion Katie Ledecky and Quadrella on the 1500m freestyle world rankings for 2023-24 with her 15:49.94 swum at the Queensland Championships in December.

And she has a best time of 15:48.96, swum when she won bronze to Ledecky and fellow American Katie Grimes at the 2022 World’s in Budapest.

Pallister will line up in the 200, 400, 800 and 1500m freestyle when all eyes focus on the Brisbane Aquatic Centre for the Australian Olympic Trials between June 10 and 15.

And tonight’s win at the Melbourne Sports And Aquatic Centre was a solo effort, Lani in the zone from the dive – lapping the field in a signature Pallister performance that came on the same night as her equally impressive win in the 200m freestyle final where she clocked a time of 1:56.63 (27.61; 57.08; 1:27.53).

Add that to her all-the-way night two win in the 400m freestyle in a top eight in the world time of 4:03.03 (not far outside her pb and No 4 time in the world of 4:02.07 set in the World Cup in Berlin last year) and a slick 55.07 to finish third behind Olympic champions Emma McKeon and Kaylee McKeown in the 100m freestyle on the opening night – in a non-stop three days of racing.

POST RACE: Michael Bohl with Lani Pallister.Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

Pallister powered her way to an impressive 200m freestyle victory just 0.60 outside her best as the 21-year-old also continues her push towards Australia’s world champion and world record breaking 4x200m freestyle relay team.

Pallister is now consistently in the 1:56s – and is currently ranked the sixth fastest of the current Australians in the countdown to June’s Olympic Trials in Brisbane – a strong indication of the depth in Australia’s sprint and middle distant freestyle ranks.

Australia, current world record holders in the 4x200m freestyle, has emerged as the team to beat in Paris after their barnstorming win in the 4x200m freestyle at the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka with this all-star line-queueing up for what will be a must watch event at the Trials:

Mollie O’Callaghan (1:52.85): 2023 World champion and world record holder,

Ariarne Titmus (1:53.01): 2021 Olympic champion, second fastest all-time,

Shayna Jack (1:55.37): 2024 World Championship finalist

Kiah Melverton (1:55.94): 2022 4x200mm freestyle world record, Commonwealth Games gold

Brianna Throssell (1:56.00): 2024 World Championship bronze medallist

Lani Pallister (1:56.03): 2022 World Short Course Champion 400, 800, 1500 and 4x200m (WR) and;

Kaylee McKeown (1:56.14): Olympic 100 and 200m backstroke champion.

Amongst other highlights on the final night saw 100m freestyle winner Will Yang (SOSC, NSW) record two solid personal best times in the 50m freestyle as he forges his wayback ahead of the June Olympic Trials.

SHAKE IT OFF: Will Yang gets set for swift 50m freestyle. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

Yang winning the 50m freestyle in 22.28 after his 22.14 in the morning heats (both times faster than his 22.49 previous best) while Cody Simpson (Griffith University, QLD) added the 100m butterfly in 52.02 to his 50m butterfly win in 24.11 in a busy 10-race schedule of heats and finals in freestyle and butterfly as he too eyes the helter-skelter June Trials in Brisbane.

Aussie Freestylers Dominate 2024 Citi Bank Para World Series

The 2024 Citi Bank Para World Series also wound up with dominant swims from Australian men’s freestylers Rowan Crothers, Thomas Gallagher and Jack Ireland among the many highlights.

Paralympic and World champion, Crothers and his Tokyo teammate and bronze medallist Gallagher put on a real show in the 100m freestyle, Crothers getting the nod by the smallest possible margin 52.63 to Gallagher’s second-best time of 52.64 with another Paralympic champion, Alex Tuckfield taking bronze in a personal best of 54.22.

But it was Gallagher who took just 23.80 seconds to reverse the 100m result, this time relegating Crothers to silver (24.02) with Wei Soog Toh (Singapore winning bronze in 29.91 in the 50m freestyle final.

With the 200m freestyle going to Queensland’s in form Jack Ireland in a solid time of 1:54.80 from fellow Australians Liam Schluter (1:57.49) and Darren Sisman (1:58.88).

Other highlights on the final night saw Australian pair Ashley Van Rijswijk (1:18.75) and Jake Michel(1:06.38 win their respective 100m breaststroke finals while world record holder and world champion Timothy Hodge won the 200IM in 2:14.55.

And long-time Australian Paralympic rivals Ahmed Kelly (3:05.51) and Grant “Scooter” Patterson (3:12.54) again fought out their unique 150m IM right to the finish as the Melbourne meet wound up a successful round of the increasingly popular World Series as these swimmers all eye off the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

A FLYER: Ahmed Kelly gets a perfect start. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis(Swimming Victoria).

SHOW MEDAL: Jack Ireland’s gold in the 200m freestyle at the Citi Para World Series. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

GO NUNA: Nunawading star Isabella Boyd claims the 200IM at the Victorian State Championships in 2:13.73 -just reward for a non stop three days with 18 individual races and club relays for Victoria’s premier club. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

CLEAN START: Paralympian Tim Hodge (centre in green cap) eyes another win in the 200IM . Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

FRONT AND CENTRE LANE: Tom Gallagher (lane 5) on his way to Para World Series gold in the 50m freestyle. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

INSEPARABLE: Two famous faces of Para Swimming (L) Ahmed Kelly and Grant “Scooter” Patterson. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

SING OR SWIM? Cody Simpson never stopped swimming with 10 races at the Victorian State Championships in Melbourne with medals to show for it. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

BACKS TO THE WATER: Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

PARTING PIC….HAPPY CAMPERS: Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

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