Kukla Claims NSW Title as Selection Trials Loom

Published On: 6 March 2014

Yolane Kukla

WAIS swimmer Yolane Kukla has recorded an impressive win over a strong representative field in the women’s 50m freestyle at the NSW State Championships.


With the best and brightest of Australian swimming stepping up preparations for April’s Commonwealth Games Selection Trials in Brisbane, a host of swimmers took the opportunity to fine tune some racing skills at the NSW meet.

The women’s 50m freestyle boasted a trio of Olympic champions, with Kukla joined on the starting blocks, by London relay teammates Brittant Elmslie and Alicia Coutts.

Kukla showed good speed in the final, to take victory in 25.15 ahead of Elmslie and Coutts respectively to earn a confidence boost ahead of the Selection Trials which double as the 2014 Australian Swimming Championships.

It was at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games that Kukla first came to prominence, after winning gold at just 14 years of age. Now with an Olympic medal to match, the former Brisbane based dasher, is hoping to repeat her Commonwealth Games heroics in Glascow.

WAIS athlete and dual Paralympic champion Katherine Downie enjoyed a packed competition schedule, taking medals in both the 200m individual medley MC (bronze) and the 400m freestyle MC (bronze).

Downie’s versatility also saw the Westside Christchurch club member compete in the 100m freestyle MC (4th), 100m breaststroke MC (4th), 50m freestyle (5th), 100m backstroke MC (6th) and the 100m butterfly (7th).

With Selection Trials on the horizon, Downie will be keenly anticipating the prospect of Commonwealth Games selection for Glasgow, with the 18 year-old having been born in Scotland, with this year’s Games representing an opportunity for something of a sporting home-coming.

There was also encouraging signs for another WAIS swimmer, with Lennard Bremer (2:13.99) taking second place in the men’s 200m breaststroke, between race winner Ippei Watanabe and Kohei Goto, both of Japan.

In local news, newly appointed WAIS High Performance Training Centre coach Bud Macallister will start his role with WAIS in April. His appointment continues a joint initiative from WAIS, Swimming Australia and Swimming WA to better align Western Australian swimming with Australia’s Winning Edge targets.

Full results from all events can be viewed here.