Commentary by Jeff Commings, Swimming World Senior Writer<\/i><\/p>\n
Swimming Australia has rarely had as difficult a choice picking the Australian Swimmer of the Year as they do in 2015. The country was stellar at the world championships, picking up seven gold medals. Bronte Campbell, Emily Seebohm<\/strong> and Mitch Larkin<\/strong> were responsible for the six individual gold medals, each winning two. Seebohm and Campbell contributed also to the dominating win by the Aussies in the women\u2019s 400 free relay.<\/p>\n In previous years, picking the country\u2019s best swimmer wasn\u2019t very difficult. Naming Cate Campbell<\/strong> the best of the best in 2013 and 2014 was pretty much a no-brainer, and selecting Ian Thorpe<\/strong> a record five times was an easy choice. This year, those involved with the voting are probably wishing separate awards for the best male and female swimmers existed.<\/p>\n If you look solely on individual medals won, Seebohm, Bronte Campbell and Larkin are in a tie. Perhaps that\u2019s how the announcement will go at Saturday\u2019s ceremony. Thorpe and Grant Hackett<\/strong> tied in 2003, so there is precedent. But look deeper, and the choice becomes a bit easier.<\/p>\n If using only the current world rankings, Bronte Campbell is out of the running. She\u2019s not ranked number one in the world in the 50 free, one of the events she won at worlds. Big sister Cate still has the top global time in the splash-and-dash, but Bronte\u2019s 52.52 from worlds does rank her at the top of the world. That\u2019s a first for Bronte, and her wins will still be celebrated Down Under.<\/p>\n Seebohm and Larkin are ranked at the top in the 100 and 200 backstrokes for their genders, and both swam season bests to get those gold medals. Seebohm was just three hundredths off her lifetime best in the 100 back, and made a major drop to take the 200 back gold medal. Larkin, too, had major improvements in the backstrokes, especially in the 200. In terms of ranks on the all-time performances list, both of them are eighth in the 200, while Seebohm\u2019s 100 back from Kazan is fourth all time.<\/p>\n Perhaps we\u2019d have to give the nod to Seebohm based on her 100 back. Add in the relays, though, and it might be a tough call. She was part of the dominating 400 free relay, and helped the Aussies win bronze in the 400 medley relay. The Australian men won silver in the 400 medley relay, with Larkin swimming just .01 slower than he did in the individual event (Seebohm was .55 slower in the relay.)<\/p>\n If you take away the numbers, it\u2019s still hard to pick. Seebohm has been a bridesmaid at several world championships and Olympic Games in the backstrokes. To see her on the top of the medal podium gave her coaches and teammates \u2013 as well as a cheering Australian fan base \u2013 a great sense of pride. I personally saw the smile on her face as she walked through the mixed zone after both backstroke wins, and I hadn\u2019t seen that before from her.<\/p>\n Larkin\u2019s wins can be categorized as \u201cbreakthroughs,\u201d though he was the 200 back champion last year at the Commonwealth Games. He beat Matt Grevers, the defending world champion, in the 100 back, and was not to be denied a double gold in the 200 over another strong field in his first world championships.<\/p>\n If I were to choose based on times and stats, Seebohm gets my vote. If I were to pick solely on emotion, Larkin wins.<\/p>\n OK, it\u2019s the moment of truth. I\u2019m picking Seebohm.<\/p>\n She won two individual gold medals, one relay gold and one relay bronze. Her medal count is higher than Larkin\u2019s. Her backstroke wins have been a long time coming, and judges who vote with their hearts likely remember how long Seebohm has been waiting for individual world championship gold.<\/p>\n Whoever is named on Saturday is a worthy winner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Commentary by Jeff Commings, Swimming World Senior Writer Swimming Australia has rarely had as difficult a choice picking the Australian Swimmer of the Year as they do in 2015. 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