Six Pack Preview: Day 5 Aus Age Championships

It’s all about the jet girls this morning.

A couple of well-known names hold the senior age records – the Australian 17-years record for the 100 free is held by Cate Campbell, and the 18-years by Mollie O’Callaghan.

Between them they have nine Olympic gold medals (five for MOC and four for Cate).

Enter 2032 hopefuls Heli Childs (pictured) – second in the 100 free and third in the 50 free at Age Nationals last year as a 16-year-old, which earned her selection on the team for Junior Worlds in Romania last year.

Class act Ainsley Trotter – who won Australia’s only medal at Junior Worlds in Romania last year – is also in the mix. Trotter won three events at Age Nationals last year as a 17yo – the 50 Back, the 50 Free and you guessed it, the 100 Free.

Up for grabs at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre is selection for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Vancouver this August but long term, the search is on for the next wave to carry the Dolphins to the LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032.

Heats from 9am | Finals from 6pm local time

Charlie Lutton, Brisbane Grammar | 18y Boys’ 200m Butterfly
Coached by Bobby Jovanovich, Charlie Lutton claimed the 100m-200m butterfly double at last year’s Age Nationals and is on track to repeat the feat. In the 18-year boys’ 100m butterfly, Lutton battled St Andrew’s Cash Milner to successfully defend his national age title. With Milner absent from today’s 200m butterfly, Lutton looks well placed to sweep the gold, entering as the fastest 18-year-old in the field.

Hayley Mackinder, Griffith | 18y Girls’ 50m Breaststroke
Training under decorated coach Mel Marshall, Hayley Mackinder is a rapidly rising name among Griffith’s strong breaststroke stock. The defending age champion in the 50m breaststroke, Mackinder will be aiming to complete the sweep after claiming gold in the 100m breaststroke earlier this week.

Christopher Montana, Trinity Grammar | 16y Boys’ 200m Breaststroke & 50m Freestyle
Christopher Montana has been electric this meet, smashing the 16-year-old boys’ 50m breaststroke national age record twice on his way to win the national title, while also securing silver in the 100m freestyle. Montana enters today as a strong contender for more gold as the one of the fastest entrants in both the 200m breaststroke and 50m freestyle.

Molly Young, Carlile | 13y Girls’ 200m Freestyle
Molly Young has been on a tear this week with three gold medals already to her name. The Carlile swimmer delivered one of the performances of the meet in her golden 1500m with the 13-year-old racing Singaporean visitor Sarah Sim right to the wall. Mia Hoo and Sienna Teevan, the silver and bronze medallists behind Young in the 1500m and 400m freestyle, are also in the water today.

Campbell Wilson-Moran, Bond | 18y Boys’ 100m Backstroke
Bond Bullshark Campbell Wilson-Moran has been training alongside Olympian and three-time world championship gold medallist Flynn Southam. Already a bronze medallist in the 200m freestyle this meet, Wilson-Moran is equally competitive in backstroke, having earned multiple backstroke event medals at last year’s Age Nationals.

Ava Gaske, Chandler | 17y Girls’ 400m Individual Medley
Junior Dolphin Ava Gaske from Chandler dives in for one of the toughest events in the pool – the 400 IM. Gaske is joined by Rocky City’s Amelie Smith who has been sweeping up golds in the 17-year girls’ age group.