Barratt Claims Ticket to Budapest at #AusChamps17
Rockingham Swimming Club member Holly Barratt has sensationally booked a spot at the 2017 FINA World Championships after taking a silver medal and an all-important qualifying time in the final of the women’s 100m backstroke.
The 29 year-old was sixth fastest qualifier for the final of women’s two-lap event but produced the swim of her life in the final, to touch home in 59.66sec behind Olympian Emily Seebohm (58.62) for a new personal best and A-Qualifier for July’s titles in Budapest, Hungary.
An overwhelmed Barratt looked lost for words momentarily in her post race interview with the host broadcaster, before joking that she was ready to become “the oldest rookie” on the Australian Dolphins team.
The qualifying mark in the 100m backstroke stood at 59.71 and in the morning heats, Barratt clocked 1:01.17min for the sixth fastest time, giving little indication of what was to follow.
Racing from an outside lane, Barratt powered to the 50m mark in second place, narrowly ahead of Hayley Baker and Minna Atherton, before surging in the closing 25m to take silver and dip below the qualification mark.
She had to be convinced by fellow competitors that her time was a Worlds qualifier.
Night two of the Australian Swimming Championships in Brisbane also saw Blair Evans retain her national title in the women’s 400m IM.
Evans proved too strong for the field, moving away in the backstroke and breaststroke legs, before consolidating in the closing freestyle, to touch home in 4:41.46.
Her time was short of the qualifying standard of 4:38.20 but provided yet another reminder of the dual Olympian’s versatility as she finished over four and half seconds clear of second place.
Brianna Throssell claimed a silver medal in the final of the women’s 100m butterfly, stopping the clock in 58.83 behind national champion Emma McKeon (57.27). McKeon’s time was under the World Championship qualifying time of 58.05 and gives her a second individual swim having made the Dolphins team in the 100m freestyle on night one.
Throssell competed at the Rio Olympic Games in the 200m fly and still has this event as well as the 200m freestyle to come, both of which the talented 21 year-old is expected to feature in prominently.
In a strong showing for Western Australian swimming, the state boasted three contestants in the final of the men’s 200m breaststroke, which was won by New South Welshman Matthew Wilson.
18 year-old George Harley was the best of the WA talent, taking an Australian Championship bronze medal in 2:10.67, ahead of fourth place Alex Milligan (2:13.23) and seventh placed Lennard Bremer (2:16.12).
In other results:
Women’s 400m Freestyle MC – London Paralympian Katherine Downie was sixth in the final after recording 800 points from her time of 4:50.84. The title was won by Lakeisha Patterson on 996 points from 4:40.70.
Men’s 400m Freestyle MC – Queensland based West Aussie Guy Harrison-Murray was seventh in the men’s final accruing 821 points from a time of 4:13.89. Victory went to Liam Schutler who clocked 4:16.28 for 970 points against his classification benchmark time.
Men’s 50m Fly –21 year-old Nicholas Brown qualified for the final of the men’s 50m fly, where he finished in fifth place. Brown swam a time of 24.34 which was 0.69 off the winning time set by national champion Brayden McCarthy.