The Australian Swim Team will kick off the New Year in Perth this month, with a 24-strong team set to take on Japan, China and the mighty USA at the 2015 BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series.<\/p>\n
The event will see some of the biggest names in the world of swimming battle it out in the pool over two (2) days, Friday January 30 and Saturday January 31.<\/p>\n
Commonwealth Games gold medallists Cate Campbell, Emily Seebohm, Thomas Fraser-Holmes and James Magnussen will headline the Australian Swim Team to compete in the fast-paced format, which will see teams race head-to-head at the HBF Stadium outdoor pool and broadcast through Network Ten\u2019s OneHD.<\/p>\n
The team will also include Pan Pacific Championship gold medallist Cameron McEvoy, four-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Emma McKeon and her brother, dual medallist from the Commonwealth Games David McKeon, along with breaststroker Buster Sykes who will represent Australia on a major senior team for the first time after a number of strong performances in 2014; at the Australian Swimming Championships in Brisbane and then again at the LA Invitational as part of the Australia A team.<\/p>\n
Following on from a stellar swimming season that saw Campbell, Seebohm, Magnussen and Fraser-Holmes all finish the year with the top times in the world for their respective events, Swimming Australia Head Coach Jacco Verhaeren said this is a great way to start the New Year and he was excited to see some quality racing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 2015 BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series is a great way to kick off the year, it gives our team a chance to get some international racing experience in before we go into the National Championships in April and then the FINA World Championships in August,\u201d said Verhaeren.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t often get the opportunity to race such strong competitors on home soil so I\u2019m sure we will see some world class swimming over the two days, especially with a number of our swimmers with world number one times for 2014 coming up against swimmers from Japan and China and now the USA who have joined the line-up for 2015.\u201d<\/p>\n
Swimming Australia Chief Executive Officer Mark Anderson says the inclusion of the USA will add to the level of competition and shows the extensive growth of this unique event over the last three years, placing Western Australia on the international stage in aquatic sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cTeam USA is an incredible addition to the 2015 BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series. It demonstrates the great appeal of this event to the best swimming nations and provides further expansion of the meet which will ensure that this event will become entrenched in the international swimming calendar,\u201d said Anderson.<\/p>\n
This addition shows the increased interest that the BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series has gained internationally for competing nations and the resulting broadcast, placing Western Australia on the world stage in aquatic sport,\u201d Anderson added.<\/p>\n
The BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series is managed by Swimming Australia in partnership with the Government of Western Australia via Tourism WA and BHP Billiton.<\/p>\n
Tickets are now on sale from www.ticketmaster.com.au<\/p>\n
The Australian Swim Team for the 2015 BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series is as follows:<\/p>\n
MEN: Tommaso D\u2019Orsogna, Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Jayden Hadler, Mack Horton, Grant Irvine, Mitchell Larkin, James Magnussen, Travis Mahoney, Cameron McEvoy, David McKeon, Jake Packard and Buster Sykes.
\nWOMEN: Jessica Ashwood, Bronte Barratt, Cate Campbell, Bronte Campbell, Brittany Elmslie, Madeline Groves, Emma McKeon, Taylor McKeown, Keryn McMaster, Emily Seebohm, Lorna Tonks and Madison Wilson.
\nHBF STADIUM \u2013 outdoor ten lane pool – 100 Stephenson Avenue, Mount Claremont, Perth WA 6010<\/p>\n
Friday 30 January 2015
\nSwimming competition \u2013 Australia v China, Japan and USA
\nWater polo competition \u2013 Australia v China (women)<\/p>\n
Saturday 31 January 2015
\nSwimming competition \u2013 Australia v China, Japan and USA
\nWater polo competition \u2013 Australia v USA (men)<\/p>\n
Event Twitter handle – @AquaticSeries
\nEvent hashtag – #SuperSeriousFun<\/p>\n