Mollie O'Callaghan upsets Ariarne Titmus to take Australian 200m free title
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Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan competes in the final of the women’s 200m freestyle during the Australian swimming championships on the Gold Coast on April 20, 2023.
AFP
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GOLD COAST – Mollie O’Callaghan battled so hard on Thursday that her “legs were gone”.
But it was all worth it in the end as she upset Tokyo Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus to seize the 200m freestyle crown on the last day of the Australian championships, while Kyle Chalmers claimed the men’s 100m title.
Titmus, who won the 400m and 800m on Queensland’s Gold Coast, was pipped at the post in a stacked field by O’Callaghan, the world champion over 100m who touched in 1min 55.15sec. Only Canadian star Summer McIntosh and American great Katie Ledecky have gone faster in 2023.
Shayna Jack was third ahead of 200m backstroke world record-holder Kaylee McKeown, who capped an impressive championships that saw her try her hand at different strokes.
“I’m happy with the time but also wish it was a lot faster than it was,” said the 19-year-old O’Callaghan.
“I felt dead in the end, I’m not going to lie. My legs were gone.”
Reflecting on her journey up to this point, she added: “There’s been a lot of ups and downs... I put a lot of pressure on myself to be better than what I was last year and hit the times in training and be better than that.
“Coming into this meet, I was quite nervous and we haven’t really been rested coming into this – we’ve got to be on all the time.
“But I think this is a big confidence booster on what I can improve on and what I executed well and what I need to work on in training. So it’s a great learning experience for me.”
In choosing to race freestyle, McKeown opted out of the 200m backstroke after setting a world record just weeks ago at the New South Wales state championships.
In her absence, 16-year-old Jaclyn Barclay took the honours in 2:11.50 – a long way outside McKeown’s 2:03.14 world best.
Jaclyn Barclay won the final of the women’s 200m backstroke at the Australian swimming championships on April 20, 2023.
PHOTO: AFP
Chalmers, who was second to American arch-rival Caeleb Dressel in Tokyo
The 24-year-old touched in 48.00, holding off fast-improving teenagers Kai Taylor – who won the 200m title – and Flynn Southam, who came second and third respectively.
“For me, I love team success more than individual success. So, to have those young kids with me, I think we are really going to do something special next year (at the Paris Olympics) in the relay,” Chalmers said.
“These young guys are going so well, it inspires me to get out of bed.”
He also said that his body is feeling “the best since probably 2020”, when he had shoulder issues.
“My mind is also probably the best... since 2016. I feel the happiest I have in and out of the pool. I’m loving training and life. I’m very grateful for that,” he added.
“I’m loving life. I’m labouring on a building site a couple of days a week. I bought a fishing boat.
“I reconnected with a lot of mates who I really pushed aside to focus on swimming. It’s making my results a lot better.”
Pool queen Emma McKeon, a seven-time Tokyo Olympic medallist, was slated to race the 100m butterfly but opted out, leaving Brianna Throssell to take the title in 57.57.
In other events, Samuel Williamson (27.48) won the 50m breaststroke, while Olympic bronze medallist Brendon Smith claimed the 400m medley crown in 4:16.37.
Australia’s swimmers will be back in the pool in June for the world championship trials in Melbourne, ahead of the main event in Japan a month later. AFP
