Australia’s four-time Olympian and new mum Emily Seebohm has returned to competition in Brisbane as she prepares for June’s Paris Olympic Trials -with hopes of a record fifth Games team.
The 29-year-old won the 50m backstroke and finished third to fellow four-time Olympian Cate Campbell in the 50m freestyle at the Hancock Prospecting Queensland Sprint Championships at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre – Campbell also with the same high hopes of a fifth Olympics.
Seebohm and partner Ryan Gallagher welcomed son Sampson into the world last September and the seven-time Olympic medallist from Beijing, London, Rio and Tokyo is now juggling motherhood with her bid to make a record fifth Olympic team.
The new mum revealed in a recent interview with 9 Now that she trains six days a week (Monday to Saturday), sometimes two times a day in preparation for the Australian 2024 Olympic trials in June.
“My body is pretty sore and stiff but that’s always been the case coming back from a break,” Seebohm said.
“So I just take every day and give it all I have. I am lucky to be able to train thanks to my massive support crew to help me.”
The triple Olympic relay gold medallist has also rekindled her swimmer-coach relationship with former coach Matt Brown at the St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School program in Brisbane.
Seebohm clocked 29.63 to hold off noted US swimmer, 25-year-old Linnea Mack (29.91) with Mackenzie Grimes (Toowoomba Grammar, QLD) third in 30.32.
Campbell, who has been back in the swim in a busy return to competition this season was as comfortable winner of the women’s 50m freestyle final in 24.64 after an earlier prelims swim of 24.53 with Mack second in 25.90 and Seebohm third in 27.09.
The men’s 50m freestyle saw Commonwealth Games representative Thomas Nowakowski (USC Spartans, QLD) rip out a 22.05 in the prelims followed by a 22.15 in the final, ahead of Jack Taylor (Somerville House, QLD) 23;17 and Mark Nikolaev (Somerset, QLD) 23.23.
It was Nikolaev,. In his specialist 50m backstroke, who won that event in 25.41 from James Bayliss (Chandler, QLD) 26.06 and triple Olympian and former world champion Mitch Larkin (Chandler, QLD) 26.27.
In other events, Tokyo 200m breaststroke Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook (Chandler), won the 50m breaststroke in 28.18 ahead of club mate Bailey Lello (28.22) and William Garraway (University of Queensland) 29.88.
While Fukuoka silver medallist in the 200m butterfly and Commonwealth champion, Elizabeth Dekkers(Chandler, QLD) won the 50m butterfly in 27.63 from Sophie Gahan (Iona, QLD) 28.96 and Madeleine Condren (University of Queensland, QLD) 29.43.
Photo Courtesy Delly Carr / Swimming Australia
