Personal Best for Brown

Nicholas Brown has set a new personal best in finishing seventh in his first World Championship final in the men’s 200m fly at the Short Course titles in China.

On his first senior team appearance, Brown elevated himself one position from the morning heats to move from eighth fastest qualifier to seventh in the medal round, in career best time.

Impressively, he shaved time off his qualifying swim in the morning to close in a new best of 1:52.15. The gold medal was won in world record time by Daiya Seto of Japan, with South African superstar Chad Le Clos and home nation hero Zhuzao Li collecting silver and bronze respectively.

Brown earned his Dolphins cap after winning the 200m fly title at the national championships in Melbourne last October.

He will now look to build that form into the summer season as he seeks to make a first major long course team.

The 2019 international calendar is focused around the FINA World Championships which will be held in Gwangju, South Korea from July 12-28. It is just the third time that the major global aquatic championships will be hosted in Asia.

Brown is one of two Western Australians on the short course team, with Holly Barratt set to commence her campaign in the women’s 50m fly tomorrow. She will race in heat five with the final scheduled for Friday.

The Dolphins’ day one activity in China was highlighted by a gold medal to Queenslander Ariarne Titmus, who claimed a first individual world championship crown in the 200m free. She broke the Australian and Oceania record with a time of 1:51.38.

Photo: © Delly Carr – Swimming Australia