This year’s National swimming trials from Adelaide was all about preparing the next gen group of youth while we keep the best established ones apart from Ariarne Titmus, who is currently taking a year-long break from swimming, even though she’s still poolside commentating on Channel 9.
Those youngsters have what it takes to make their own history that would hopefully translate onto the world stage.
Yes, LA28 and Brisbane 2032 are the ideal golden goals. But them off to Singapore soon for the upcoming World Championship will be the first of the biggest tests of their swimming careers & happy for them to show what they can be capable of before looking at gold & WRs.
Because at the end of the day, it’s all about competitive battles that is worth the risk and reward with improvements.
First things first, Kaylee McKeown is the undisputed Queen of Backstroke swimming from the one to lap dash Finals v Mollie O’Callaghan. For Mollie, it’s been tough always having to concede finishing second but again, this was the race she was at her absolute best.
Now she could rinse and repeat and Mollie O could somehow break world records at another Worlds event yet again not just 200m but 100m as well.
Then someone else other than Arnie will want to steer the ship on her own Lani Pallister when it comes to the long-form Freestyle races where she hit sub four secs the other day in the 400m meet.
She’s done that on her own before in the short course Worlds but now making that kind of breakthrough here would at least put Lani towards gold medal watch sooner than later.
We still have 31-year-old Cameron McEvoy swimming like a bullet train with his arms, head and hips straight, who continues to be too good last night in the one-lap freestyle race with Kyle Chalmers in 2nd – unbelievable.
And yes from earlier, when it’s all about having great races while developing the next crop of swimmers, there’s one 16-year-old that you want to meet – Sienna Toohey.
She had one ball of swim in the women’s 100m breastroke without any disappointment and now she’s a first time Dolphin being part of their World Championship squad.
She could even more history as our next best breaststroke swimmer right there – hope someone could be next when it comes to butterfly and then we’re all ready to beat Team USA at some point.
And shoutout to Paralympian Alexa Leary who also continues to shine especially in the women’s 100m freestyle multi-class and almost broke the world record time by 0.01 secs in her S9 class. Yes, she may not be the same from her accident a few years ago but still the one and only Alexa Leary you want to meet & chat all day.
