Tamsin Cook Earns Ticket to Rio

WAIS swimmer Tamsin Cook has earned a debut berth onto the Australian Olympic Team after finishing second in the women’s 400m freestyle final at the 2016 Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide.

The 17 year-old dipped under the A-Qualifying time of 4:07.58 by more than a second (4:06.38) to confirm nomination for Rio, a year after winning a Junior World Title in the same event in Singapore.

The Michael Palfrey trained swimmer picked up a silver medal behind national champion Jessica Ashwood – who will join Cook in the Australian Dolphins team in South America.

A clearly stunned Cook said she was struggling for words in her post-race pool deck interview, before she later explained that mental process and race execution had got her to the line.

“I just can’t believe it,” she said. “I was very nervous but I just told myself that when I get out there I have to be fearless and race to my race plan. And I think that’s what I did and I am just so happy to have gone under that qualifying time.

“There is such a wealth of experience and hopefully I’ll be able to gain a lot and learn a lot from the older guys on the team over the next few weeks or months.”

Cook will also contest the 200m freestyle, where a top six place in a final would earn a relay spot.

WAIS swimmer Brianna Throssell was fourth in the final of the women’s 100m fly but showed plenty of evidence that she would be a threat in her favoured 200m fly event later in the program.

Throssell clocked 58.08 to finish behind the podium trio of Emma McKeon (Rio Qualified), Madeline Groves (Rio Qualified) and Alicia Coutts.

2012 London Paralympian Kat Downie went close to a medal in the final of the women’s multi class 100m backstroke, finishing fourth in a time of 1:10.79. Ellie Cole picked up a second national title win in as many days.

Tommy Sucipto was eighth in the final of the men’s 100m breaststroke touching home in 1:02.02 with the National Title and Rio qualification going to Jake Packard.

19 year-old Zac Incerti showed plenty of talent in progressing to the final of the men’s 100m backstroke, setting the third fastest time of 54.19 in the semi finals, whilst he’ll be joined in finals action by fellow WAIS athlete Holly Barratt in the women’s 100m back, after she set the seventh fastest time across the two semis.