McEvoy sets new record as Magnussen falls short
A gold medal may be in his sights after a world beating 100m freestyle time but Cameron McEvoy admitted he would be looking over his shoulder at the Rio Olympics.
Cameron McEvoy after winning the Mens 100m Freestyle on day 5 of the Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide. Photo: Dave Hunt, AAP.
McEvoy set a new Australian record – and the fastest ever time in a textile suit – to claim 100m freestyle gold at the Rio trials in Adelaide last night.
He clocked 47.04 seconds, almost a second ahead of young Adelaide gun Kyle Chalmers (48.03) with James Roberts third (48.32).
SA teen Kyle Chalmers is Rio-bound. Photo: Dave Hunt, AAP.
But dual world champion James Magnussen (48.68) missed an individual spot with his fourth placing.
World titles silver medallist McEvoy eclipsed Eamon Sullivan’s 2008 mark of 47.05.
It also bettered Magnussen’s 47.10 at the London trials as the fastest ever swim in a textile suit.
Incredibly, McEvoy’s time is the closest to breaking Brazil’s Cesar Cielo’s world mark of 46.91 set in the 2009 supersuit era.
Yet McEvoy reckoned he could have gone faster.
“If I knew I was that close maybe there would be something in me that pushed me a bit further,” he said.
McEvoy wasn’t getting ahead of himself.
“It puts me in a good position come Rio,” he said.
“But the Olympics is notorious for not producing the best time to win it.
“And I am aware rivals will be fired up and getting ready to get back into training at 5am just to beat me.
“I can’t sit back and relax. I have got a lot to do.”
Magnussen appeared to have done enough to earn a Rio relay berth.
But he will not be able to seek Olympic 100m redemption following his London silver medal heartbreak.
Only a top-two finish within the Olympic qualifying time of 48.49sec guaranteed a Rio 100m individual berth.
Relay spots will be confirmed when the team is announced on Thursday.
Meanwhile, former world champion Cate Campbell defied a freak wrist injury to qualify fastest for Tuesday night’s women’s 100m freestyle final.
Nursing a wrist complaint sustained while sleeping, Campbell clocked 52.41 in her semi-final – her fastest time since she claimed the 2013 world title.
The time would have won London Olympic gold and pipped her younger sister Bronte for victory at the 2015 world titles in Russia.
Reigning world champion Bronte Campbell (52.78) was second fastest.
Cate Campbell believed she was almost back to her best after overcoming 2015 shoulder surgery.
Dual world champion Mitch Larkin (one minute, 54.68) was fastest qualifier for Tuesday night’s 200m backstroke final.
It was the world’s fastest time of the year.
Madeline Groves (2:05.47) won her fourth straight women’s 200m butterfly title.
World junior silver medallist Matthew Wilson (2:09.90) claimed 200m breaststroke gold.
-AAP
