Australian Swimming Trials - Day 2 Heats Wrap

And now, back to regular scheduled programming at SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre with backstroke queen Kaylee McKeown (pictured) qualifying first and drama free in the women’s 100m backstroke of the Australian Swimming Trials.

The 23-year-old shrugged off yesterday’s disqualification and subsequent successful protest to hit the wall at the first turn in 28.46 and then stop the clock at 59.38 – the only swimmer under the 60 second barrier – while Mollie O’Callaghan qualified second fastest for tonight’s final in 1:00.03.

In an outstanding morning session, 20 swims went under qualifying times for Singapore World Championships and World Para Swimming Championships with a sizzling men’s 200m free boasting a quartet of name-bearing Qs.

Two-time Olympian Zac Incerti showed there is still plenty of gas in his experienced legs with a 1:45.80 Q, Edward Sommerville posted a 1:46.02 Q, an enthused Sam Short 1:46.33 Q and smokey Charlie Hawke 1:46.42 Q.

But don’t write off middle-distance freestyle specialist Max Giuliani (1:46.97). This is the event that he made his Olympic debut in Paris and the one he had earmarked for Singapore.

In an outstanding session for USC Spartans head coach Michael Sage, butterflyer Alex Perkins hot off a PB and having already booked her Singapore ticket last night in the 100m fly, clocked an Allcomers record in the women’s 50m butterfly – her 25.46 well under the qualifying time.

Training with Sage on the Sunshine Coast, Perkins has gone from strength to strength since December when she went head-to-head with USA’s Gretchen Walsh at the 2024 World Short Course Championships in Budapest, taking home two bronze medals.

In other heats: Ella Ramsay is loving swimming under new coach Mel Marshall on the Gold Coast and while she punched her ticket to Paris as a breaststroker and medley swimmer her, the 20-year-old has made big gains in the breaststroke.

This morning Ramsay qualified first for tonight’s 100m breaststroke final (1:07.36) with Hayley Mackinder second (1:07.71) followed by the two Siennas – Harben and Toohey. But don’t discount new rival Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre).

Top seed Matt Temple wrapped up Day 2 Heats; Temple won his heat in 51.65 but won’t have the honours of lane four with Jesse Coleman ripping a 51.51 – under qualifying time to put himself firmly in the frame for a rookie debut in Singapore.

Worth mentioning is Harrison Turner – his 52.35 a solid effort on the back of a gut-busting 200m free swim just a few events earlier.

If anyone can be the first S9 female to crack the 27-seconds barrier in the women’s 50m freestyle, it’s the limitless Lex Leary.

Leary has already posted four world records this year, including a world-best time of 27.23s in the 50 free last month at Sydney Opens. Her time this morning (27.69) qualified her for the Singapore World Championships and came within firing distance of a fifth world record, which could go down in tonight’s final.

It was a triple treat in the men’s 50m freestyle multi-class with Paris Paralympic champion Tom Gallagher (S10), local Marion swimmer Rowan Crothers (S10) and Tokyo bronze medallist Alex Tuckfield (S10) all punching their ticket.

For Tuckfield, Singapore marks his return to the Dolphins since making his debut at 16 (Tokyo Paralympics). After Tokyo, Tuckfield was reclassified and had to take a sharp turn from a mid-distance specialist to a sprinter.

Tuckfield said: “I still don’t think I’ve reached my full potential as a sprinter yet, but I do know when Singapore (World Championships) comes around I’ll be in prime condition and the world will see the new best version of me.”

“I’m really excited to wear the green and gold and be a part of the team again, it’s been a long hard road.”

Find full results here

Day 2 Finals start 7:30pm ACST

Watch all the action live and free on Channel 9