Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2024 AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS

We’re about to enter the penultimate night of action at the 2024 Australian Olympic Trials. Already we’ve seen a world record and big lifetime bests put up by the nation’s biggest players in their fight to make the squad for Paris 2024.

This morning’s biggest takeaways included the fact that 4-time Olympian Cate Campbell missed the A-final of the women’s 100m free, meaning that the 32-year-old veteran may not be on the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.

Additionally, Sam Short, runner-up in both the men’s 400m and 800m free already here, scratched the 1500m free due to an ongoing stomach illness.

Of those who will be diving in for the A-finals, we’ll see former world record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook start us off in the men’s 200m breast, followed by Jenna Strauch in the women’s edition.

Bradley Woodward and Joshua Edwards-Smith are set to duel in the men’s 200m back followed by a monster cache of talent appearing in the women’s 100m free.

This morning the heats of the 1free brought us 4 women under the 53-second threshold, including leader Meg Harris (52.52), Mollie O’Callaghan (52.57), Shayna Jack (52.65) and Bronte Campbell (52.95).

Campbell’s appearance is a good sign that the calf injury which rendered her out of most of April’s Open Championships has healed and the mainstay is back to form.

MEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

World Record – 2:05.48, Qin Haiyang (CHN), 2023
Australian Record – 2:05.95, Zac Stubblety-Cook, 2022
Oceanic Record – 2:05.95, Zac Stubblety-Cook, 2022
Commonwealth Record – 2:05.95, Zac Stubblety-Cook, 2022
All Comers Record – 2:05.95, Zac Stubblety-Cook, 2022
Swim Australia OQT – 2:09.50

GOLD – Zac Stubblety-Cook, 2:07.40 * OLY Qualifier
SILVER – Joshua Yong, 2:08.08 *OLY Qualifier
BRONZE –Bailey Lello, 2:10.85

Former world record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook has booked his ticket to Paris in his attempt to defend his gold medal in this men’s 200m breast event.

The 25-year-old punched a winning time of 2:07.40, over 2 seconds under the Swimming Australia-mandated Olympic Qualification Time of 2:09.50.

His time this evening checks in as a season-best overtaking the 2:07.50 he produced for gold at April’s Australian Open Championships. ZSC’s personal best remains at the 2:05.95 produced at the 2022 Aussie National Championships.

In another impressive performance, 22-year-old Joshua Yong stopped the clock at 2:08.08 to reap silver and add this event to the 100m breast for which he already qualified.

Yong’s 2:08.08 slashed nearly half a second off his previous PB of 2:08.54 from April and remains Australia’s #5 performer in history.

Top 5 Australian Men’s LCM 200 Breaststroke Performers All-Time

Zac Stubblety-Cook – 2:05.95, 2022
Matt Wilson – 2:06.67, 2019
Christian Sprenger – 2:07.31, 2009
Brenton Rickard – 2:07.89, 2009
Joshua Yong – 2:08.08, 2024

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

World Record – 2:17.55, Evgenia Chikunova (RUS), 2023
Australian Record – 2:20.54, Leisel Jones, 2006
Oceanic Record – 2:20.54, Leisel Jones, 2006
Commonwealth Record – 2:18.95, Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA), 2021
All Comers Record – 2:20.04, Rie Kaneto (JPN), 2016
Swim Australia OQT – 2:23.91

GOLD – Ella Ramsay, 2:22.87 *OLY Qualifier
SILVER – Jenna Strauch, 2:24.04
BRONZE – Matilda Smith, 2:25.84

In a stroke-for-stroke battle to the wall, it was 19-year-old Ella Ramsay who got to the wall first, ripping a new lifetime best of 2:22.87.

It was Miami’s 27-year-old Jenna Strauch who posted a 3rd leg of 36.44 to slightly get the edge but Ramsay closed in 27.26 to seal the deal and add this 2breast to the 100m breast for which she’s already qualified.

Strauch settled for silver in 2:24.04, missing the Swimming Australia-mandated Olympic Qualification Time of 2:23.91. However, as she won the 100m breast earlier, she’ll most likely be able to swim this 2breast in Paris.

Matilda Smith, the 19-year-old Miami teammate of Strauch, rounded out the top 3 in 2:25.84. World Championships medalist Abbey Harkin wrangled up 4th in 2:26.01.

Going back to Ramsay, her 2:22.87 performance in this final is a personal best by over a second, blasting her previous PB of 2:24.28 from last December’s Queensland Championships. She now becomes Australia’s 4th-quickest performer in history and just the 4th Aussie to have ever delved under the 2:23 barrier.

Australian Women’s LCM Top 200 Breaststroke Performers All-Time