Evans Secures World Championship Relay Spot

WAIS swimmer Blair Evans has booked her ticket to the World Swimming Championships in Shanghai despite missing out on a third national title at the current Australian Swimming Championships in Sydney.

Evans has secured her position in the red hot women’s 4x200m relay after finishing fifth in the women’s 200m freestyle final. With the top six earning selection for the relay squad, Evans can begin preparations for July’s Shanghai showdown.

The race was won by Queensland’s Kylie Palmer, with Bronte Barratt and Jayde Neilsen taking the minor medals.

Evans claimed bronze in the 800m freestyle behind Katie Goldman and five time national champion Melissa Gorman. Evans narrowly missed a medal in the 400m freestyle, settling for fourth with Kylie Palmer again victorious.

WAIS Paralympic champion Katrina Porter showed her class in winning the 50m backstroke multi-class final in a new personal best time of 41.16.

Porter admitted to some surprise at the time, having won her Paralympic gold in the two lap 100m backstroke event.

“I was really surprised because I don’t consider myself a sprinter. So to do a one second PB is pretty exciting,” Porter said.

“My main goal was to qualify for Pan Pacs, I didn’t expect to swim this well at all. I’ve really exceeded my expectations.

“I’ve only been back from Italy for two weeks. They train very differently there and I don’t think I’m fully fit, so I’m really happy to have come here and swum well.”

Porter also claimed bronze in the final of the 100m backstroke MC.

Olympian Travis Nederpelt was denied a national title in the men’s 200m butterfly after finishing second in the final. Nederpelt, also finished fourth in the final of the 200m IM and will compete in tonight’s final of the men’s 1500m freestyle.

WAIS young gun Adelaide Hart showed plenty of promise in finishing fifth in the final of the women’s 50m backstroke.

With Swimming Australia