Kelly Stubbins narrowly missed World Championship selection at the Australian Swimming Championships on Tuesday night. 16623By Marc McGowan
HAILEYBURY Waterlions queen Kelly Stubbins may have missed World Championship selection in her pet event on Tuesday, but took comfort in posting a new Victorian record.
The 24-year-old went stroke for stroke with Olympians Stephanie Rice and Meagen Nay in the 200m freestyle at the Australian Swimming Championships before fading into seventh place.
Stubbins shot to the front with 35 metres to go, but was swamped in the final stages as eventual winner Nay and Rice fought out the race.
Only eight tenths of a second separated Nay from Stubbins in a blanket finish.
Nay and Rice booked individual swims for the World Championships in the race, while Swimming Australia officials will consider the top six competitors for a relay berth. Stubbins’ time of 1:58.73 beat her own state mark – set at January’s Victorian Open Championships – by more than half a second.
Sixth-placed Felicity Galvez swam 1:58.71 to narrowly edge Stubbins out for the last relay spot.
Waterlions head coach Wayne Lawes was naturally disappointed that she missed national selection, but was delighted with her time.
“It was a personal best and a new state record and we’re going in the right direction,” he said on Wednesday morning.
“It was a world-class swim and that’s just the way it goes sometimes. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t – it’s a pretty tough gig.
“At the end of the day, you can’t do any better than your personal best and we’ll just have to train harder and faster to keep moving forward.”
Lawes said Stubbins was holding up well ahead of her other events on the program.
“She’s not too bad. I think the fact she did her best time helped,” he said.
“Of course she’s disappointed, but it’s not over yet – she still has the 100m (freestyle) today. She just has to stand back up. It tests your character.”
Fellow Waterlions Jack Hutchins, 17, and Ally Woodlock, 17, are also competing at the Australian Swimming Championships this week.
Hutchins, an AIS/AFL Academy scholarship-holder, will swim the 50m freestyle, while Woodlock is a chance of making the semi-finals of the 200m backstroke.
“Jack is off to South Africa to play footy in a week-and-a-half or two weeks,” Lawes said.
“He still loves his swimming and we’re still trying to combine them.
“It’s more about experience for them and getting ready for the Age Championships that are coming up (next month) and having a good hit out.”
