The Week That Was: Cate Campbell Leads Sterling 100 Free Field At 2019 Australian World Trials

Cate Cambell all smiles after today's 100m free heats at the Sydney Open
Cate Campbell was a standout at the 2019 Australian World Trials; Photo Courtesy: Swimming NSW

Australian Cate Campbell continued her string of dominant performances this year by leading one of the fastest finals ever seen in the women’s 100 free at the 2019 Australian World Championship Trials. Read up on that meet and the other biggest stories of the week below:

The Week That Was #5 – Natalie Coughlin To Make Return To Swimming With ISL

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

12-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin has officially announced her return to swimming as part of Kaitlin Sandeno’s team in the International Swimming League (ISL), the DC Trident. Coughlin has been out of the competition pool since the 2016 Olympic Trials, and in the three years following has become a mother and also wrote a cookbook. Sandeno and Coughlin are former teammates, having famously contributed to Team USA’s gold medal and world record performance in the 800 free relay at the 2004 Olympic Games. “Many people assumed that I was retired, but I very purposefully never retired,” said Coughlin during the ISL press conference this week. “I knew swimming was still a big part of my life.” Coughlin is the most decorated female Olympic swimmer in U.S. history, tied with Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson, and her return could leave the door open for other swimming legends to join in the new professional league.  

The Week That Was #4 –  Adam Peaty Almost Sub-58 At Mare Nostrum In Barcelona

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Photo Courtesy: British Swimming / Twitter @britishswimming

Great Britain’s Adam Peaty was absolutely dominate at the Mare Nostrum stop in Barcelona this week, showing again he is the man to beat in the sprint breaststroke events at this summer’s World Championships. Peaty won the 50 and 100 breast in meet record times, posting a 58.15 on day one of the meet in the 100 before winning the 50 on day two in 26.55 Peaty has been sub-58 at the British Championships in April (57.87), and remains the only man in history to swim under 58 seconds in the 100 breast long course. Also posting strong swims was Yulia Efimova, who was just off her season bests in winning the 50 (30.17), 100 (1:05.75), and 200 (2:21.60), and Ben Proud, who won the 50 free in 21.55. Katinka Hosszu also posted a world leading time in the 400 IM (4:32.52), while Pernille Blume continued a strong year with a 24.36 in the 50 free. You can see all the recaps from the Mare Nostrum Tour here.

The Week That Was #3 – Luca Urlando Takes Down Phelps NAG Record At Clovis Pro Series

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Photo Courtesy: Melissa Wolf

17-year-old Luca Urlando was the standout from the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series in Clovis, breaking Michael Phelps’ legendary 17-18 National Age Group record in the 200 fly. Urlando also set a new TYR Pro Series record. Urlando touched the wall in 1:53.84, nearly five seconds ahead of his closest competitor, to take down the former mark set by Phelps was back in 2003 that was the world record at the time. That distances Urlando even more from his countrymates, making him the clear leader in the event for 2019 for the Americans. He also moves to #3 in the world for 2019 and becomes the third-fastest American all-time in the event. You can see race video or Urlando’s swim here and all the recaps from the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series in Clovis here.

The Week That Was #2 – Regan Smith Demolishes 100 Back Junior World Record

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

While Luca Urlando was breaking his NAG record in California, fellow 17-year-old Regan Smith was breaking her own world junior record in the 100 back at the Counsilman Classic in Indianapolis. The teenager lowered the world junior record twice at the meet, lowering it to a 58.55 in the morning heats before taking it down to a 58.45 in finals. That moved Smith up to #2 in the world rankings behind Canada’s Kylie Masse (58.16). Her time also moves her to seventh in the all-time world rankings, tying her with Katinka Hosszu’s gold medal-winning time from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Smith will not be swimming the 100 back at World Championships this summer, having only qualified in the 200 back back in 2017.

The Week That Was #1 – Campbell Leads Sterling 100 Free Field At 2019 Australian World Trials

Cate Cambell all smiles after today's 100m free heats at the Sydney Open

Cate Campbell after heats of the women’s 100 free at the 2019 Sydney Open; Photo Courtesy: Swimming NSW

The 2019 Australian World Championship Trials wrapped up this week, with the country announcing a roster of 27 qualifiers for this summer’s World Championships. That includes Cate Campbell, who is having as resurgent year and led one of the fastest finals the swimming world has ever seen in the 100 free, with the top three finishers all posting sub-53 performances. Kyle Chalmers also recorded a personal best and world-leading time in the 100 free (47.35), Mitch Larkin broke his own national record in the 200 IM, and Kaylee McKeown moved up to third in the world rankings in the 200 back (2:06.35). Emma McKeon also moved to #2 in the world in the 200 free (1:54.55). Not on the roster will be Emily Seebohm, who missed her first Worlds team since 2005 after failing to qualify in the 200 back. You can see all the recaps from the 2019 World Championship Trials here.

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Thomas A. Small
4 years ago

Congratulations

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