Pallister adds 400m crown at Australian Open swim meet
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Australia’s Lani Pallister has staked her claim to be crowned queen of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games’ pool.
Pallister went from sublime on the opening night of finals at the Australian Open swimming championships to supreme as she claimed another gold medal, with the 400m freestyle title joining her 800m success.
The 23-year-old crushed an international field at Gold Coast Aquatic Centre to win in an astonishing 3:59.36 – her second fastest time in a hot field which included New Zealand’s first swimming world champion in the 400m in Erika Fairweather (4:02.09).
Brazil’s Maria Costa (4:03.41) touched third.
Kyle Chalmers had spectators on their feet early.
Buoyed by the introduction of form strokes for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Chalmers shocked the crowd and himself when he went within 0.04 seconds of a national 50m butterfly record set almost 16 years ago.
The 27-year-old clocked 22.77 and said the one thing that excited him in swimming after 11 years on the Australian Dolphins team was setting personal best times.
“It’s about swimming PBs and the 50m butterfly is the event that I first medalled in, back in 2014,” said Chalmers, after adding the 50m fly to his 100m freestyle title from Monday night.
“I think I have a body that is best suited to butterfly so to turn the clock back to when I first started is amazing. I am really looking forward to it.
“Any PB is a good PB and to do it in a stroke that I really loved swimming as a junior is kind of special. I have actually been working a lot on my butterfly and it may be on the cards for LA28. But there’s a lot of work to do first.”
Chalmers still holds four national age records in the butterfly and was in flying form as he claimed an all-comers record.
Ben Armbruster finished second (23.46) with Isaac Cooper (23.57) third.
In other events, Shayna Jack won the women’s 50m freestyle in 24.60, ahead of Olivia Wunsch and Mollie O’Callaghan.
Kaylee McKeown cruised to victory in the women’s 100m backstroke in 58.06, from O’Callighan and Hannah Fredericks.
And Rowan Crothers won gold in 51.18 in the men’s 100m freestyle, from Alex Tuckfield and Callum Simpson.
The Australian Open serves as a tune-up for Australia’s trials for the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Sydney from June 7-13.
Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games will start on July 23, while the PanPacs will take place in the USA in August.
AAP