{"id":494173,"date":"2021-12-20T22:13:41","date_gmt":"2021-12-21T05:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=494173"},"modified":"2021-12-21T10:44:47","modified_gmt":"2021-12-21T17:44:47","slug":"aussie-mollie-ocallaghan-off-to-flying-start-on-paris-odyssey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/aussie-mollie-ocallaghan-off-to-flying-start-on-paris-odyssey\/","title":{"rendered":"Aussie Mollie O’Callaghan Off To Flying Start On Paris Odyssey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aussie Mollie’s Full Medal Packet At Queensland Championships: Paris Odyssey Off To Flying Start<\/strong><\/p>\n

Queensland teenager Mollie O\u2019Callaghan surfaced from Australia\u2019s history-making Olympic campaign as one of the girls most likely to light up Paris in 2024.<\/p>\n

At 17 and on her first Australian senior team, \u201cMollie O\u201d helped lay the platform for a victorious relay assault from a hungry Dolphins pod.<\/p>\n

Last week O\u2019Callaghan emerged from her post Olympic slumber at the 2021 McDonald\u2019s Queensland Championships \u2013 like so many of her team mates – swimming a whopping 12 open and age individual events and three relays \u2013 a total of 27 races in seven days \u2013winning a remarkable 14 gold and one bronze medal.<\/p>\n

Wins in the open 100 and 200m freestyle where she lowered the colours of a returning Shayna Jack and Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus \u2013 two timely reminders to her St Peters Western training partners that Mollie O is all Go! And she squeezed in both the Open and Age 100m backstroke after the 200m free win.<\/p>\n

\"Mollie

FUN AND GAMES: Mollie O’Callaghan having the time of her life. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).<\/p><\/div>\n

Swimming World <\/em>spoke exclusively to Maxine Seear \u2013a key player in Dean Boxall\u2019s St Peters Western coaching staff about this remarkable teenager\u2019s non-stop week and why it could well be another major springboard for this super-talented youngster into 2022 and 2024.<\/p>\n

And to Mollie O after a gruelling competitive week as she returns to training in the lead in to Christmas.<\/p>\n

But first let\u2019s push the rewind button on her Olympic debut and remind ourselves just how good it was for this shy, fresh faced Brisbane teenager swimming at her first Games.<\/p>\n

Swimming the heats in the 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay, Mollie delivered a steely start well beyond her years.<\/p>\n

Her 53.08 was the fastest of any lead-off split in the 4x100m freestyle heats \u2013 and only bettered in the final by Australia\u2019s lead swimmer Bronte Campbell (53.01), Sweden\u2019s world record holder Sarah Sjostrom (52.62, Olympic record) and Norway\u2019s Pernille Blume (53.07).<\/p>\n

O\u2019Callaghan\u2019s epic World Junior Record time of 1:55.11 in the bronze medal winning 4x200m freestyle heats was only bettered by lead off swims from China\u2019s Yang Juan who clocked a new National record of 1:54.37 and her training partner and Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus\u2019 1:54.51 in the final \u2013 an Australian time only ever bettered by Titmus and Emma McKeon.<\/p>\n

And then her Tokyo hurrah \u2013 a flying anchor split of 52.35 in Australia\u2019s gold medal winning medley relay heats team \u2013 the fastest heat split and a time only bettered by Australia\u2019s sprint queen Cate Campbell\u2019s 52.11 and Sjostrom\u2019s 52.26 in the final \u2013 leaving Mollie O among the fastest females of the Games.<\/p>\n

\"Mollie

RELAX JUST DO IT: Mollie O’Callaghan in the zone in Tokyo. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)<\/p><\/div>\n

Many keen judges believing Mollie had earned the right for a finals appearance \u2013 in teams that would earn her two gold and bronze medal for her best supporting roles in teams bulging at the seams with talent.<\/p>\n

But it was something Mollie took in her stride\u2013thankful for the opportunity to do her bit in the best teams in the world.<\/p>\n

Believing her time will come as the curtain falls on 2021 and the dawning of a hectic 2022 just around the corner \u2013 a year she very much wants in on at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games.<\/p>\n

And not just in the relays with Mollie signalling her intentions in not only the 100 and 200m freestyle but also the 100m backstroke.<\/p>\n

Seear is clear about where Mollie O is heading and why her busy States program will be reap rewards as she heads towards Paris.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 100 and 200m freestyle and 100m backstroke will be Mollie\u2019s major focus moving forward; she\u2019s got a chance in all of those events to be successful,\u201d said Seear.<\/p>\n

\u201cAustralia has huge depth in all of them so she\u2019s still got to be on her game if she still wants to make a senior team in an individual position and also to still be in those relays.<\/p>\n

\u201cSwimming multiple events (like she did at States) is so she learns to back up individual swims into the relays through the next session.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about starting to get used to swimming multiple times through one session and Mollie did three events for most sessions, two events for the two days and just the last day where she had one event.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe did a phenomenal job and we included events she is not that comfortable with including the 400m freestyle and the 100m butterfly just to get her used to swimming events she\u2019s not used to and outside her comfort zone….<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly tough, largely tough on the mental and emotional side; physically a lot of the time they are right.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if you are not that happy about your first swim you\u2019ve got to put that behind you and move forward.<\/p>\n

\"MOLLIE

FREESTYLER: Mollie O will be chasing individual spots in 2022. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cYou can’t jeopardise the rest of your swims because of one swim and I think its incredibly tough and it\u2019s very hard to train for the pressure of that big environment.<\/p>\n

\u2018I don\u2019t think we could ever simulate the intensity of the Olympic environment anywhere other than the Olympics.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously Olympic Trials has got a lot of pressure…but its still just not the same…if you can use these smaller meets to just to keep getting up and demanding more from yourself.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least you know you\u2019ve got it in your back pocket .knowing \u201cI\u2019ve done this before…I\u2019ve done the physicality of this before\u2019 and then it\u2019s just allowing you mentality to move through those meets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Olympics was only her second Australian team; her first Australian team was a junior team and she\u2019s now straight into the senior team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat being on that senior team taught her is going to carry with her for years now.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has matured unbelievably so through that one senior team experience, knowing she\u2019s not got that in her back pocket…standing up and leading these relays off in the heats.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no easy heat. She can lean on that forever. She can trust herself. She doesn\u2019t need to doubt herself…and the team can trust her and that\u2019s invaluable really….<\/p>\n

\"MOLLIE

SHOW MEDALS: Mollie O was a regular podium visitor at the Queensland Championships. Photo Courtesy: Wade J Brennan Photography.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s awesome that relays are such a big part of the Australian team. Because that\u2019s a cohesive unit…you bring everyone together to fight for your country and that\u2019s what brings that unity to the team….starting off on your first Olympic team for Mollie in those relay environments were the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Mollie O was as proud as punch in what she achieved across the week and in her words: \u201cI\u2019m pretty stoked…..\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good learning experience which I\u2019m sure will help me along way on my journey, starting next year,\u201d said Mollie.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was quite hard coming back after a break and then transitioning into training again and this being the first meet since the Olympics.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gave me a lot of confidence in a way that I can do a lot more hopefully next year I can achieve my goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was happy with my 200m freestyle; we tried to replicate what I did at the Olympics but I still have to work on my technique, some other little things and getting fitter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was also happy with my first 400 freestyle in three years…so I kind of surprised myself in an event I don\u2019t really know how to race……<\/p>\n

\u2018And when it comes to changing strokes \u2013 training backstroke helps my freestyle and training freestyle helps my backstroke……and I\u2019m just happy that I can do so many events….because the freestyle and backstroke are both very very competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n

RESULTS UPDATE, 2021 McDonalds Queensland State Swimming Championships<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

FULL OPEN RESULTS AND AWARDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

WOMEN<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>50m freestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shayna Jack (St Peters Western) 24.41<\/p>\n

Alex Perkins (USC Spartans) 25.50<\/p>\n

Mia O\u2019Leary (Bond) 25.67<\/p>\n

* Mollie O\u2019Callaghan won the 17 years 50m freestyle in 25.19<\/p>\n

100m freestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mollie O\u2019Callaghan (St Peters Western) 53.62<\/p>\n

Shayna Jack (St Peters Western) 53.80<\/p>\n

Brianna Throssell (USC Spartans) 55.54<\/p>\n

200m freestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mollie O\u2019Callaghan (St Peters Western) 1:56.51<\/p>\n

Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western) 1:57.36<\/p>\n

Brianna Throssell (USC Spartans) 1:58.16<\/p>\n

* Mollie O\u2019Callaghan also won the 17 years 200m freestyle in 1:57.68<\/p>\n

400m freestyle <\/strong><\/p>\n

Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western) 4:04.64<\/p>\n

Kiah Melverton (St Peters Western) 4:07.63<\/p>\n

Moesha Johnson (Griffith University) 4:08.00<\/p>\n

* Jamie Perkins (St Peters Western) won the 16 years 400m freestyle in 4:10.49 (which would have placed her fourth in the Opens)<\/p>\n

800m freestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western) 8:26.65<\/p>\n

Moesha Johnson (Griffith) 8:28.79<\/p>\n

Kiah Melverton (St Peters Western) 8:33.15<\/p>\n

1500m freestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Moesha Johnson (Griffith University) 16:01.66<\/p>\n

Kiah Melverton (St Peters Western) 16:15.13<\/p>\n

Madeleine Gough (Chandler) 16:16.65<\/p>\n

50m backstroke<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ashley Weill (St Andrews SC) 30.35<\/p>\n

Carla Buchanan (Rackley Swim Team) 30.64<\/p>\n

Emma Cran (Carina Leagues) 30.82<\/p>\n

* Bronte Job swam the fastest time of the night breaking her own Qld 18 years All Comers record in 27.87.<\/p>\n

100m backstroke<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mollie O\u2019Callaghan (St Peters Western) 1:00.67<\/p>\n

Bronte Job (Rackley Swim Team) 1:0143<\/p>\n

Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western) 1:01.94<\/p>\n