Australian Olympic Trials 2024: Live recap of day three finals

AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS 2024

The finals on day three of the 2024 Australian Olympic Trials are here. Tonight’s final session will feature the women’s 200 freestyle, as well as the men’s 800 freestyle, 50 freestyle and 200 butterfly. The men’s 800m freestyle is a timed final event with the slowest heats swum this morning.

All eyes will be on the women’s 200 freestyle final tonight, as it should be a fantastic race between two of the best women’s freestylers in the world. World record holder Mollie O’Callaghan finished 2nd in this morning’s heats, swimming in 1:55.68. He was a free 400 WR holder Ariane Timus who led the way this morning, swimming a time of 1:55.50. Titmus has been on fire so far this week, as she already won the women’s 400 free on Monday, where she recorded the 2nd fastest time in history (after her own WR) with a 3:55, 44. Meanwhile, O’Callaghan produced a terrific 100 backstroke on Tuesday night, finishing 2nd with a 57.88. Tonight’s 200 freestyle final should be a phenomenal race between these two superstars.

Fastest heat in men’s 800 freestyle will see star distance swimmers Sam Court And Elie Winnington go one-on-one. The two men are by far the favorites to take the top two places and secure their tickets to Paris at the event. Short, aged just 20, has quickly become one of the best male distance swimmers in the world, having already clocked 7:37.76 in the event during his career.

The final of the men’s 50 free will see Cam McEvoy competing for his place on the Olympic roster. McEvoy, one of the leading contenders for gold in this event in Paris, led the heats this morning by half a second, swimming in 21.43.

WOMEN’S 200m freestyle – FINAL

• World record – 1:52.85, Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 2023
• Australian record – 1:52.85, Mollie O’Callaghan, 2023
• Ocean record – 1:52.85, Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 2023
• Commonwealth Record – 1:52.85, Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 2023
• Australia Swimming TQO – 1:56.49

Top 8:

1. Ariane Timus – 1:52.23 (WORLD RECORD)
2. Mollie O’Callaghan – 1:52.48
3. Lani Pallister – 1:55.57
4. Brianna Throssell – 1:55.74
5. Shayna Jack – 1:56.22 (tie)
6. Jamie Perkins – 1:56.22 (tie)
7. Brittany Castelluzzo – 1:56.77
8. Meg Harris – 1:56.93

What a way to start a finals session. The 23-year-old duo Ariane Timus and Mollie O’Callaghan, 20, gave us the ride we dreamed of. They were engaged in a very close race from the start, never separating themselves by more than a quarter of a second. They would both crush O’Callaghan’s world record of 1:52.85, set last year.

Timus won the race, swimming in 1:52.23, while O’Callaghan was close behind in 1:52.48. O’Callaghan was cleared in 26.59 over the first 50 meters, just ahead of Titmus’ 26.64. Titmus would then take the lead at the 2nd 50, splitting 28.49, and she would maintain her slim lead for the rest of the race.

With their performances tonight, Australia will not only send the 2 best swimmers in the world this year to Paris, but they will also send the 2 fastest women in history.

As for the rest of the final, the Australian 4×200 free relay for Paris seems to be in great shape. Lani Pallister took 3rd place in 1:55.57, while Brianna Throssell also had a good swim with a time of 1:55.74 for 4th place. Shayna Jack and Jamie Perkins then finished tied for 5th in 1:56.22, rounding out the top 6 Australian swimmers.

Men’s 800m Freestyle — Timed Final

• World record – 7:32.11, Zhang Lin (CHN), 2009
• Australian record – 7: 37.76, Sam Court2023
• Ocean record – 7: 37.76, Sam Court (Australia), 2023
• Commonwealth Record – 7:37.76, Sam Court (Australia), 2023
• Australia Swimming TQO – 7:45.80

Top 8:

1. Elijah Winnington – 7:44.90
2. Sam Court – 7:46.52
3. Matthieu Galea – 7:53.99
4. Benjamin Goedemans – 7:55.76
5. Kyle Lee – 7:56.64
6. Lachlan Walker – 7:59.11
7. Noah Millard – 8:02.04
8. Thomas Raymond – 8:04.19

In something of a mini surprise, 24-year-old Elijah Winnington won the men’s 800 freestyle tonight. Sam Court. Winnington clocked 7:44.90 this evening, falling short of Swim Australia’s qualifying time of 7:45.80, punching her ticket to Paris. It was a good swim for Winnington, who clocked 7:42.95 at the World Championships last February.

During this time, it was a little complicated for Sam Court, who finished 2nd with a time of 7:46.52. Not only did Short come in 2nd, but he wasn’t under the QT either. Short has been as fast as 7:37.76 in his career and has already clocked 7:43.98 this year. Short already qualified for the Olympic team with his 2nd place finish in the 400 freestyle final Monday night, where he swam 3:43.90. Winnington also won that race, swimming in 4:43.26.

MEN’S 50m Freestyle — FINAL

• World record — 20.91, Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2009
• Australian record – 21.06, Cameron McEvoy (AUS), 2023
• Ocean record – 21.06, Cameron McEvoy (AUS), 2023
• Commonwealth Record – 21.06, Cameron McEvoy (AUS), 2023
• Australia Swimming TQO – 21.88

Top 8:

1. Cam McEvoy – 9:35 p.m.
2. Ben Armbruster – 21.84
3. Isaac Cooper – 21.97
4. Kyle Chalmers – 22.04
5. Jamie Jack – 22.06
6. Jack Cartwright – 22.21
7. Guillaume Yang – 10:23 p.m.
8. Thomas Nowakowski – 10:24 p.m.

Cam McEvoy made history tonight by winning the men’s 50 freestyle in 21.35. Not only was it a great test swim for McEvoy, who holds the Australian record in the event in 21.06, but he also qualified for his 4th Olympics, making him the first Australian swimmer to do it.

The 21.35 was a great swim for McEvoy ahead of Paris, where he will be among the favorites to win gold. He will have the opportunity to make history once again in Paris, as Australia has never won a medal in the men’s 50 freestyle at the Olympics, something McEvoy hopes to change this year.

McEvoy has enjoyed a resurgence in his career since the Tokyo Olympics, after which he took a break from swimming before returning with an entirely new and innovative training program. He has spoken very openly about how he has changed his training from what it was before, now emphasizing his land training and significantly reducing his volume in the water. McEvoy has since won gold at the World Championships in the 50 freestyle and set the Australian record with a time of 21.06.

If McEvoy’s swimming is at one end of a swimmer’s career spectrum tonight, 22-year-old Ben Armbruster was at the other. Armbruster took 2nd place tonight in 21.84, qualifying for his first Olympic team. He got the job done, dipping below the QT of 21.88 to join McEvoy in Paris.

200 MASCULINE BUTTERFLY — FINAL

• World record — 1:50.34, Kristof Milak (HUN), 2022
• Australian record — 1:54.46, Nick D’Arcy, 2009
• Ocean record – 1:54.15, Moss Burmester, 2009
• Commonwealth record — 1:52.96, Chad Le Clos, 2012
• Australia Swimming TQO — 1:54.97

Top 8:

1. Bowen Gough – 1:56.18
2. Harrison Turner – 1:57.07
3. Ruan Van Der Riet – 1:59.21
4. Lucas Humeniuk – 1:59.92
5. Alex Fahey – 2:00.48
6. Caio Gallo – 2:00.84
7. Kyle Lee – 2:01.06
8. Joseph Hamson – 2:03.24

After leading the 200 butterfly preliminaries this morning, Matthew Temple, 24, did not compete in the final this evening. In tonight’s final, 26-year-old Bowen Gough won the race, swimming in 1:56.18. While it was a good swim for Gough, he was more than a second off Swimming Australia’s Olympic qualifying time of 1:54.97, meaning Australia will have no swimmers in the 200m butterfly male in Paris.

Harrison Turner finished 2nd tonight with a time of 1:57.07, significantly improving on his time of 1:59.23 in the preliminary round.