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One silver by the 4 x 100 Women’s Medley Relay Team and Meg Harris’s joint bronze in the 50m Freestyle Final wraps up Australia’s run in 2nd at the 2022 World Swimming Championships

by Sports Benches

The Dolphins may have collected just the silver and bronze on the final day of this year’s World Swimming Championships, but they still finished 2nd on this medal tally alone with six gold, nine silver and two bronze at a total of 17 medals.

Nice seeing Meg Harris share the joint bronze medal with Team USA’s Erika Brown at 24:38 in the Women’s 50m Freestyle Final. She was 3rd fastest overall from start to finish – including a great start in her heat & also she finished 2nd in the 2nd semi.

Then we saw the 4 x 100 Women’s Medley Relay Team wrap up 2nd after a fantastic start earlier yesterday in the heats. Yes, they couldn’t nail down Team USA on time for the gold when building an early lead would’ve gave them an extra edge towards their arch rivals. However, the girls swam really well within the Top 3 nonetheless from Kaylee McKeown, Jenna Strauch, Brianna Throssell & Mollie O’Callaghan.

Overall, it’s great to see our Dolphins finish off 2nd. We have a few of the world’s fastest swimmers that is developed & produced right here with freestyler Mollie O’Callaghan, backstroker Kaylee McKeown, and breaststroker Zac Stubblety-Cook. Although Elijah Winnington’s opening day gold in the Men’s 400m Freestyle Final may not have translated everywhere else, but surely he can bounce back next time.

And we have plenty of bright and talented youngsters coming through the ranks who is tipped for massive potential. They are ready to make history in collecting gold medals like O’Callaghan, McKeown & Stubblety-Cook – before they look to hopefully end Team USA’s long-running dominance up top & take over the world themselves regardless if its the WC and/or Olympic medal tally.

Thanks to Budapest, Hungary, for being such a great host once again for the second time that goes back to five years ago in 2017. For now, bring on the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, next month, as well as renewing our arch-rivalry with Team USA back home in Sydney this August.

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Kaylee McKeown’s first WC gold in the Women’s 200m backstroke & the 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay team’s outstanding race secured another two gold medals for Australia on Day 7 of the 2022 World Swimming Championships

by Sports Benches

One day to go of this year’s World Swimming Championships and the Dolphins Swim Team have once again snatched another two gold & one silver medals on Day 7 in Budapest, Hungary.

It’s good to see Kaylee McKeown back to her best in the Women’s 200m backstroke final, having finally secured her first World Championship gold. She fired off well inside the Top 3 that allowed her ample time to stay in the mix before McKeown capitalised on top spot going into the last 50m that helped her lock up both Team USA swimmers towards the finish line.

Then we saw Kiah Melverton swam her way to 2nd alongside a personal best in the Women’s 800m Freestyle Final at 8:18:77. Yes, it was a race where Team USA’s Katie Ledecky was too good all along as she’s one of the world’s best out there for over a decade. But she did so well nonetheless with a full swim performance – especially when she closed down the rest of the field just in time for her silver medal.

And a big pat on the back to our 4 x 100 Mixed Freestyle Relay Team – including Jack Cartwright, Kyle Chalmers, Madison Wilson & Mollie O’Callaghan. Not only they took home another gold but also smashed the new world record time of 3:19:38. We love Cartwright finish off his best in Stage 1 – even though his shoulders were tired after a hard fought 100m dash – before Chalmers took over & took the most credit that sent Australia into the lead by the time he handed over to Wilson & O’Callaghan at the halfway mark. The team effort & communication Cartwright & Chalmers built here has set up an easy finish for the girls where they have swam proud on the run home for them.

The door may be closed for the Dolphins for 1st behind Team USA on the medal tally, but they can finish off on a high in 2nd with plenty of gold up for grabs. There’s Meg Harris in the Women’s 50m Free, Isaac Cooper Men’s 50m backstroke & two 4 x 100 medley relays in both men’s & women’s races. Plus, Jenna Forrester in the Women’s 400m Medley if she can get past Heat 2 tomorrow.

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Mollie O’Callaghan & Zac Stubblety Cook’s outstanding swims in their respective Finals puts Australia back into 2nd on Day 6 of the 2022 World Swimming Championships

by Sports Benches

We’re back into 2nd now on the medal tally for the Dolphins Swim Team, having snatched another two gold medals today thanks to Mollie O’Callaghan and Zac Stubblety-Cook after Day 6 of the 2022 World Swimming Championships.

Stubblety-Cook may not had the early momentum needed to stay ahead when he was battling outside the Top 3. The gamble to go all in the last 50m paid off however, when he came from behind with less than 100m to go before he trumped the whole field on the way home that secured his first World Championship Gold Medal in the Men’s 200m breaststroke.

Same goes to O’Callaghan over in the Women’s 100m Freestyle who was also initially off the pace. But likewise to what Stubblety-Cook did in the last-half, she began to rebound just in time up front towards a photo finish, and she has done it to upsurge Sweden’s Sarah Sjoestroem and Team USA’s Tori Huske for the gold she really wanted which is absolutely stunning.

Then there’s more than just the two outstanding swimmers on display where they took home another two silver medals.

Excellent job from Zac Incerti with the turnaround once he took over the baton from Elijah Winnington. His excellent spell in the last 100m puts them in 2nd after Stage 2 of the Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final; That helped him paved an easy pathway for Sam Short & Mack Horton to bring it all the way home where they finished 2nd.

And how good was Jenna Strauch in the Women’s 200m breaststroke? Although she couldn’t hold off Team USA’s Lily King towards the very end of the wall, but it’s still an excellent swim – especially in the 2nd half where she caught up side-by-side to the frontrunners just in time for the climax of this race.

The hard work isn’t over going into the final two days with Kaylee McKeown in the Women’s 200m backstroke Final, Kiah Melverton in the Women’s 800m Freestyle Final & Matt Temple in the Men’s 100m butterfly Final – plus the Mixed 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay if possible tomorrow. Initially, Lani Pallister was set to compete in the Women’s 800m Freestyle tomorrow with Melverton for the gold but then COVID caught her which means she has to withdraw from the running & sit for at least a week in isolation.

For now, what a day for O’Callaghan & Stubblety-Cook who made our Aussies very proud on the pool.

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2022 World Swimming Championships Day 4: Dolphins Swim Team oh so close again with two silver medals on display

by Sports Benches

Oh so close from 18-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan with the silver in the 200m Women’s Freestyle Final. Yes, she wanted to build up gradually & then go all-in as part of her tactics inside the pool, having been comfortably in between 2nd and 3rd already. However, she just couldn’t catch up China’s Junxuan Yang on time before the end of the wall. It’s still a good swim though as she just her collected another medal here on top of her opening day gold in the Women’s 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay Final. Her team-mate Madison Wilson finished 5th where we would’ve liked to see her finish Top 2 again alongside Mollie from the heats and semis yesterday but great effort to bring it all the way home nonetheless.

Then we move onto the 4 x 100 Mixed Medley Relay Final where the Dolphins may be well off the pace during the first half with Kaylee McKeown (backstroke) and Zac Stubblety-Cook (breaststroke) leading our baton. However, it’s great to see Matt Temple recover well back in the Top 3 via the butterfly before Shayna Jack freestyles her way home that secured them the silver medal. It could’ve been another gold once again if McKeown and Stubblety-Cook were side-by-side with Team USA for the whole time. That way, the finish would’ve gave a better chance of thumping their arch-rivals for the gold, but glad to see them on the podium after a brilliant 2nd-half performance that provided a better pull towards the homestretch.

That’s all for Day 4 of the 2022 World Swimming Championships as the Dolphins added two silver today to their medal tally; two gold, four silver and one bronze that still sees them in 3rd spot right now behind Italy by just one gold medal.

Let’s see if Kaylee McKeown can get back to her best tomorrow night on Day 5 in the Women’s 50m backstroke Final, after she finished 3rd all day long that qualifies overall in 6th fastest. And so does 18-year-old Liz Dekkers from Brisbane in the Women’s 200m Butterfly Final following a bright start in the heats; She may finished 4th in the 1st semis but has done enough to book her place in 6th.

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Aussie Dolphins Swim Team off to a great start with two gold medals from the 4 x 100 freestyle women’s relay team & Elijah Winnington on Day 1 of the 2022 FINA Swimming World Championship

by Sports Benches

It’s been a great start for our Australian Dolphins Swim Team in 2nd right now behind Team USA following the opening day of this year’s FINA World Championships with the swimming at Duna Arena in Budapest, Hungary.

The women’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay team’s performance was simply outstanding throughout today in both heats (3:33:74) and finals (3:30:95) where they dominated the entire pool, even though they well just short of world record time (3:29: 69). They all did it without the Campbell sisters in Bronte and Kate – currently both taking time away from the pool, as well as Emma McKeon – who chose to focus solely on next month’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

But again they have an amazing line-up of swimmers to assemble that can do the job without them, especially to Shayna Jack back in action after she recently finished serving her two-year doping ban. Brianna Throsell and Leah Neale also both filled in during the heats earlier on before the Dolphins threw in two amazing youngsters who smashed it in the final – Meg Harris & Mollie O’Callaghan. And Madison Wilson knows all about relay experience too well as any team-mate got the best out of her presence every time Wilson is competing poolside, having just picked up her 4th world championship gold medal that all comes from team finals swims.

Then we look at the men’s team where Eijah Winnington took out his first world championship gold medal in the 400 m freestyle final. What a breakthrough it has been by the 22-year-old who hails from the Gold Coast, with many more moments like this to come.

Speaking of 400m, how good was Kyle Chalmers in the freestyle relay – especially when his team-mates were out of the Top 3 for the majority until he jumped in & made a huge difference that helped them secure the silver in 2nd at 3:10:80 – just over a second behind the comfortable victors from USA (3:09:34).

We’re tied with them at two gold now in the medal tally going into Day 2 later tonight if you exclude the silver and bronze.

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