Victorian State Championships: Emma McKeon Wins 100m Free; William Yang’s Emotional Return To The Fast Lane Post Surgery

WINNING SMILE: Olympic champion Emma McKeon all smiles at the Melbourne Sports And Aquatic Centre. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria).

Victorian State Championships/Para World Series: Emma McKeon Wins 100m free in 53.00; William Yang’s Emotional Return To In Fast Lane in 48.52 Post Spinal Surgery

FIVE-time Olympic gold medallist Emma McKeon was all smiles after returning to competition in Melbourne last night, kick-starting her Paris Olympic gold medal defence in fine style, winning the 100m freestyle and clocking a personal best in the 50m butterfly.

WINNING START: Emma McKeon starts her Paris prep at the Victorian Championships Photo Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria).

McKeon clocked 53 seconds flat in an impressive 100m freestyle win on the opening night of the Victorian State Championships – a time that would have seen McKeon, 29, finish fourth in the recent World Aquatics final won by world number one Marrit Steenbergen (Netherlands).

Steenbergen has put herself into serious Olympic gold medal contention, clocking not only a personal best but a new Dutch record time of 52.26.

It was one of the most impressive victories from the Doha World’s meet, as she out-powered 200m winner, Tokyo silver medallist Siobhan Haughey (Hong Kong) 52.56 with McKeon’s fellow Australian Shayna Jack taking bronze in 52.83.

American Kate Douglas was fourth in 53.02.

Bu McKeown showed last night why she will be ready to take on all-comers as the Tokyo 50 and 100m freestyle champion strives to become only the second woman in history to defend the Olympic 100m freestyle crown – an honour that belongs to the legendary fellow Australian, Dawn Fraser who won three Olympic 100m freestyle gold in 1956, 1960 and 1964 and the second in the 50m behind Dutchwoman Inge de Brujin (2000 and 2004).

McKeon (Griffith University, QLD) was through the first 50m last night in a conservative 25.61 but came home in a solid 27.39 – encouraging splits for her foray back into mainstream competition after a heavy block of training under supercoach Michael Bohl at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

Next home behind the four-time Tokyo gold medallist, was ever-present Olympic backstroking golden girl, Kaylee McKeown in 54.35 and distance specialist Lani Pallister in 55.07 rounding out the Griffith trifecta.

Earlier in the day, McKeon had cruised comfortably through to the final in 54.21 and before her 100m freestyle final, went head-to-head with Japanese Olympian Rikako Ikee in a helter-skelter 50m butterfly final – Ikee out-touching McKeon 25.84 to 25.86 (0.01 under McKeon’s PB set in 2020) with New Zealand International Hazel Ouwehand (Phoenix Aquatics) third in 216.29.

Fellow Tokyo star McKeown, 22, by-passed her signature 200m backstroke to concentrate on the 100m breaststroke for her IM preparations which she won comfortably in 1:07.01 from sisters 21-old Reidel Smith (Nunawading, VIC) 1:10.98 and 25-year-old Mikayla Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 1:1123.

FAR CRY: William Yang can’t hide his emotions after winning 100m freestyle at the Victorian State Championships 12 months after back surgery. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria).

And in a further major boost to the Australian men’s freestyle sprint group for Paris preparations, Sydney’s 25-year-old Commonwealth Games relay gold medallist, William Yang (Sydney Olympic Swim Club) also made an emotional return to competition winning the men’s 100m freestyle final in an encouraging 48.52 – 12 after undergoing successful back surgery last year to a remove a benign tumour located on his spine.

Yang letting the past 12 months out with a spirited performance and a yell of relief and satisfaction when he finished the race.

Twelve months ago, doctors discovered a “decent-sized benign tumour” in Yang’s spinal canal that was pinching his spinal cords and causing excruciating pain – but after surgery and quite the post-operative journey, Yang, who won the 2022 Australian Trials (in Kyle Chalmers absence), has clawed his way back into Games contention under coach Adam Kable at SOPAC.

Yang had swum a personal best in the semi-finals at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games of 48.38, going on to finish fifth in the final in 48.55 – before joining Chalmers, Zac Incerti and teenager Flynn Southam to win 4x100m freestyle gold.

VICTORIAN STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – Start Lists and Information

ALL RESULTS HERE

Tim Hodge (AUS) And Roisin Ni Riain (IRE) Star on Opening Night of Citi Para Swimming World Series 2024

Meanwhile in the Citi Para Swimming World Series 2024, run in conjunction with the Victorian Championships, Australia’s Timothy Hodge (S9) and Ireland’s 18-year-old visually impaired star Roisin Ni Riain (S13) were the stand-out performers.

PARA PODIUM: (L-R) Col Pearse, Tim Hodge and Liam Schluter show medals after the 100m butterfly. Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria).

NSW’s Tokyo Paralympian and world champion Hodge, 23, taking out the men’s 400m freestyle in 4:17.34 and the 100m butterfly in 1:00.77 while fellow Paralympian Ni Riain, striking double gold for Ireland in the 100m backstroke (1:06.69) and 100m butterfly (1:06.36).

Australia’s Paralympic and World champion, 23-year-old Benjamin Hance (S14), was also impressive, winning the 100m backstroke in 57.74.

With the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games looming just six months away, elite Para swimmers from across the globe seize this golden opportunity to fine-tune their skills and gear up for the pinnacle event of the season.

The Citi Para Swimming World Series 2024 makes its second stop in one of the most traditional nations in the sport as Australia will play host to 121 athletes representing 13 nations from 23 to 25 February (Friday to Sunday) at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC).

KAYLEE MCKEOWN Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

Emma McKeon.Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming

Cody Simpson Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming

Ahmed Kelly Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

Bowen Gough Wins 200m butterfly Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

Cody Simpson all smiles after finishing second in the men’s 100m freestyle Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

Faces in the crowd Recently retired Mack Horton and recently crowned world champion Sam Williamson Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria).

MSAC outdoor pool Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria).

Kaylee McKeown Photo Courtesy Con Chronis (Swimming Victoria)

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