CAM McEvoy shook-off the disappointment of his shock 200m performance to take down Olympic Golden boy Kyle Chalmers in the 100m freestyle at Chandler Aquatic Centre on Wednesday night.
The heavyweight match-up of the meet lived up to expectations with McEvoy bursting off the blocks and then holding on against a fast finishing Chalmers to claim his fourth 100m title in 47.91 sec.
Chalmers’ 48.20 was also comfortably under the qualifying time for the world titles in Budapest in July but he leaves the meet without ticking off an item on his bucket list.
When the 18-year-old stunned the world with his gold medal performance in Rio he had never won an open age national title.
It was a goal here but in finishing second to Mack Horton in the 200m and now second again to McEvoy on Wednesday night he goes home empty-handed.
Cam McEvoy (right) after beating Kyle Chalmers in the 100m final at the Australian Swimming Championships.Source:AAP
McEvoy clocked 47.04 at last year’s championships, the fastest time ever outside of the now banned textile supersuit but failed to medal in Rio.
Last night, by going sub 48 seconds, he showed he had overcome the Rio heartbreak and was ready to once again challenge on the world stage.
“It is good, I am super happy about it, that’s four in a row for me and I’m really excited about that,’’ he said..
“The main thing is the world championships and we will both go back and kill ourselves at training and try to bust it up at the worlds.’’
Chalmers admits it was a different feeling this week entering a meet as an Olympic champion.
“Normally I get to fly under the radar so this has been a whole new experience,’’ he said.
Rising Queenslander Jack Cartwright was third.
Rio breaststroker Taylor McKeown claimed the double with victory in her pet event the 200m after winning her first 100m title on Tuesday.
However her time of 2.23.58 was more than two seconds outside her title winning swim of last year and she broke the trend of the event by making her feelings at the slower than expected times be known.
“I’m really disappointed in that swim, even though it is the first time I’ve won the double,’’ she said.
“I just wished overall I was quicker, I will have to figure out what went wrong and turn it around in training before the worlds.’’
But she was soon smiling when 15-year-old sister Kaylee finished second to dual world champion Emily Seebohm in the 200m backstroke in 2.08.98 to qualify for Budapest as the youngest member of the team.
Seebohm, who claimed her twentieth national title and the second backstroke double of her career with her winning time of 2.07.03 and will now attempt to defend the 100m and 200m titles she won in Russia in 2015, said she relishes the new wave who are snapping at her heels.
“It is fantastic, these young girls push me so hard,’’ she said.
Two Multi-Class world records were also set by Olympic Gold medallist Racha Watson.
Watson set a new 50m freestyle world record of 38.66 in the morning heats and then smashed her own record in the final with a blistering 37.87.
Originally published as McEvoy puts one over Chalmers
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