Australian Trials, Night One: Queensland's Magnificent Seven Book Tickets To Paris In A Slashing Opening Night

Australian Trials, Night One: Queensland's Magnificent Seven Book Tickets To Paris In A Slashing Opening Night 

Tokyo golden girls Ariarne Titmus, Kaylee McKeown and Emma McKeon have led a major Queensland onslaught on the road to Paris after a flying start to the 2024 Australian Trials at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre last night with seven automatic qualifiers.

Titmus and Lani Pallister (Women’s 400m freestyle); McKeown and Ella Ramsay (Women’s 200IM), McKeon (Women’s 100m butterfly) and Elijah Winnington and Sam Short (Men’s 400m freestyle) all made the cut, booking their places on what will be an all-star Dolphins Swim Team for 2024 Olympic Games.

It will be a third campaign for Australia’s most decorated Olympian, McKeon (Rio, Tokyo and Paris); Titmus, McKeon and Winnington making it back-to-back (Tokyo and Paris) with Pallister, Short and Ramsay all on debut.

And what a special night for Pallister who follows her mum Janelle Elford (Seoul 1988) and Ramsay joining her father Heath Ramsay (Sydney 2000) in the prestigious Olympians club.

Twenty-three-year-old Titmus (St Peters Western; Coach by Dean Boxall) opened proceedings with a slashing 400m freestyle in typical Arnie style – on world record pace from the get-go until the final touch – just missing her own mark from 2023 - clocking the second fastest time in history – her 3:55.44, a new Australian Allcomers Record and just 0.06 outside that world mark.

And storming home for second and joining Titmus in what will be the 2024 version of “The Race Of The Century” will be Pallister (Griffith University; Coach Michael Bohl) who after missing Tokyo has conquered her demons and illness to realise a lifelong dream of becoming an Olympian.

When asked about missing her own world record by 0.06, Titmus said: “It was a chance for me to practice a race plan to see how I’d go – it doesn’t matter what happens here it’s a matter of what happens in six weeks’ time.

Pallister, 22, clocking 4:02.27 – well under the 4:04.98 qualifying time – had an emotion charged celebration as she joined Mother Janelle and her godmother, swimming icon and triple Olympic gold medallist Dawn Fraser for a tearful group hug on pool deck.

“Three years ago, I was ready to quit, walk away from swimming and I didn’t think I would be here standing on the blocks, I’m so happy. So grateful,” said a tearful Pallister, who has battled health and sickness to make her dream debut in Paris.

While backstroking queen McKeown (Griffith Uni; Coach Michael Bohl) set a new Commonwealth and Australian All-Comers record of 2:06.63 – the third fastest time in history – and only 0.51 outside the 2015 world record held by Katinka Hosszu (HUN) at 2:06.12.

And flying into second and under the QT, Chandler Swim Club’s Ramsay (Coached by Master Coach Vince Raleigh) who clocked a personal best time of 2:09.32 to put the icing on her stellar 2023-24 season.

McKeon, Australia’s most successful Olympian – five-time gold medallist and 11 time medallist booked her place on a third Olympic team – winning the 100m butterfly with the real prospect of adding to her medal tally.

The bronze medallist in the 100m butterfly in Tokyo, McKeon (Griffith University; Coach Michael Bohl) has celebrated her 30^th birthday with the best possible present, knowing she will retire from swimming after 15 years on the Australian team on sport’s biggest stage.

She took control of her destiny with a slick first 50m, splitting 26.20, and hanging on over the final stages, to make the qualifying cut, but there was heartbreak for Queensland’s 23-year-old Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans; Coach Mick Palfery) who was agonisingly close, clocking 57.33 (missing the time of 57.17) after swimming under the QT of 57.10 in the morning preliminary heats.

While World champions Winnington and Short booked their places on the Australian Swim Team for Paris after a ding dong 400m freestyle battle to end the opening night proceedings.

Tokyo Olympian Winnington, the 2022 World Champion in Budapest, backing up for his second Olympic campaign; Short, the 2023 world champion, realising a childhood dream after going so close at the 2020 Trials in Adelaide in the 1500m.

After the lead changed three times, it was 2022 World Champion, Tokyo Olympian Winnington who won the eight-lap duel – stopping the clock at 3:43.26, Short finishing strongly in 3:43.90.

It was Winnington (St Peters Western; coach Dean Boxall) who led through the first 100m – under world record pace in 53.56; before Short (Rackley; Coach Damien Jones) took over to lead through the 200m in 1:50.40 – Winnington a touch behind in 1:50.47.

Short was still in front at the 250 in 2:18.98 to Winnington’s 2:19.05 but by the next turn it was Winnington who hit the front and stayed there, lifting off the last two walls to lead at the 300m mark by 0.22 in 2:47.72 and he held on over the last 100m, despite Short’s stirring finish.

The Winnington-Short combination will give Australia a real two-pronged attack in an event won six times by Australia – twice to Murray Rose (1956, 1960) and Ian Thorpe (2000 and 2004) and once to Brad Cooper (1972) and Mack Horton (2016).

While in the Multi-Class finals and Paralympic Team Trials, established USC Spartans, S9 stars Brenden Hall and Lakeisha Patterson (coached by Casey Atkins) have booked their nominations for the Paris Paralympics with stirring 400m performances – Hall securing a place for a fifth Paralympics and Patterson for her third Games.

Hall winning his 400m in 4:16.17 and 25-year-old Patterson a second QT in the final of her 400m freestyle of 4:45.79 after her heat qualifier of 4:43.54.

Now a father, Hall, who will be the oldest male on the team at 32 started his journey as the youngest male in the Beijing Games in 2008, followed by his golden Games of London in 2012 and Rio in 2016 where he won the 400m, returning to Tokyo in 2021 where he was fourth in the 400m.

Their fellow Queenslander Jack Ireland (University of QLD; Coach David Heyden) also clocked his second qualifier of the day in winning the S14 category 200m final 1:54.22 – after his 1:54.75 in the morning prelims – staking his claim to make his Paralympic debut.

Full Qld Results: