Throssell Earns World Championship Selection
WAIS swimmer Brianna Throssell has become the first WA athlete to earn selection onto the Australian Dolphins team for this year’s FINA World Championships in Russia.
The 19 year-old is set to make her senior long-course debut in Moscow after finishing second in the women’s 200m fly at the 2015 Australian Swimming Championships in Sydney.
Heading into the final, Throssell held the fastest qualifying times but was bettered by Queensland athlete Madeline Groves, who produced a two-second personal best to win the national title in 2:05.41.
Throssell’s 2:07.29 was under the FINA A-qualifying standard which booked the City of Perth club member onto the Dolphins squad for World Championships.
Also in Day 5 action:
Westside swimmer and WAIS athlete Lennard Bremer advanced to the final of the men’s 200m breaststroke after setting the fourth fastest time of 2:14.11.
Holly Barratt was fifth in the women’s 50m backstroke final, with the Rockingham Swimming Club member clocking 28.63, with Emily Seebohm breaking the Commonwealth record for gold in 27.47.
In other key results from the 2015 Australian Swimming Championships:
Leisure Park Lasers swimmer Tommy Sucipto won a silver medal in the men’s 50m breaststroke in a time of 27.71, behind Olympian and World Championship representative Christian Sprenger. The men’s 50m breast is not a World Championship event.
Sucipto also claimed a bronze medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke final, with the 20 year-old hitting the wall in 1:01.13 with gold going to Jake Packard.
Emerging West Coast swimmer Tamsin Cook produced a fantastic swim to claim third place in the women’s 400m free final. The 16 year-old WAIS athlete recorded a 4:07.14 for bronze with Jessica Ashwood winning the national title.
Brianna Throssell produced an impressive swim in the final of the women’s 100m fly for fifth place (58.36) and was also quick in the women’s 200m free, missing the final by a single spot.
19 year-old Trinity club member Nicholas Brown swam a great race in the men’s 200m fly, clocking 1:58.56 for fourth place behind champion Grant Irvine.
Holly Barratt also returned a highly credible sixth place finish in the 100m backstroke – in 1:01.95 with Seebohm again taking honours. WAIS athlete and West Coast club member Adelaide Hart had the 12thfastest time across the semi finals.
Westside swimmer Katherine Downie (19) produced one of the more stirring efforts from this year’s Australian Championships, returning to competition after surgery to remove her appendix just over a week out from nationals. The London Paralympian qualified for the final of the women’s 100m backstroke to finish seventh in a time of 1:12.62. Gold went to Ellie Cole.
Downie still has her pet event in the women’s 200m IM to come.
Another impressive comeback at nationals was performed by Olympian Blair Evans. The 24 year-old West Coast swimmer has returned from shoulder surgery and a heavily restricted training schedule to post great swims in the women’s 100m and 200m freestyle events.
Evans swam the 12th fastest time in the women’s 200m free, making the semi finals and also registered the 18thquickest time in the 100m free, which arguably boats the greatest depth of talent of any event in Australian swimming.
The 2015 Australian Swimming Championships conclude on Friday April 10 at SOPAC, with this year’s FINA World Championships taking place in Russia from July 24 – August 9.