The Australian Swimming Championships have wrapped up, producing some early-season surprises and reason for optimism as the Dolphins prepare for a crucial campaign heading towards the Tokyo Olympic Games. Head coach Jacco Verhaeren knows better than to put the cart before the horse given the prelude to Rio compared to the returns from those Games,Read moreRead more
Month: April 2019
Chalmers, Titmus the highlights as Dolphins prepare for huge campaign
Titmus doesn't need to wait until Tokyo to challenge Ledecky
It's unlikely Ariarne Titmus would have How Soon is Now, the 1984 track by The Smiths, on her Spotify playlist. But for the rising superstar of world swimming, that's a question worth posing as she continues to thunder her way towards next year's Olympic Games. After another superb swim, this time the 400m freestyle atRead moreRead more
The Belgian who could hold the key to Olympic success for Chalmers
Adelaide: What's a Belgian boffin got to do with Kyle Chalmers' quest for a rare Olympic golden double? Plenty, according to Australian swimming's head coach Jacco Verhaeren. A Belgian professor is part of Chalmers' plan to become the first man in two decades to win 100m and 200m freestyle gold medals at the same Olympics.Read moreRead more
'I'm still in training': Chalmers wins 200m freestyle national title
Adelaide: Kyle Chalmers has captured another Australian swimming title, winning the 200m freestyle final in Adelaide. Chalmers produced a trademark strong second half of Wednesday night's race to hold off Elijah Winnington and win by six-tenths of a second. "Tonight was kind of all heart really," Chalmers said. "As the meet progresses, my body isRead moreRead more
Jodie Henry backs AIS' shift from 'fishbowl' environment
Three-time Olympic Games gold medallist Jodie Henry has backed the new direction of the AIS as the campus moves away from its "insular" environment on the road to Tokyo. Henry concedes she struggled to thrive in the "fishbowl" environment when the focus was solely on sport and factored in little room for perspective in life, whenRead moreRead more
Titmus sets 200m freestyle Commonwealth record
Australia's swim starlet Ariarne Titmus says a vow of silence has helped her set a Commonwealth record. The self-confessed chatterbox deliberately kept quiet, and to herself, before Tuesday night's 200m freestyle final at the national titles in Adelaide. The result: a time of one minute 54.30 seconds – more than half-a-second inside the previous CommonwealthRead moreRead more
Dolphins coach on alert for ISL burnout as pro league shakes up sport
Dolphins head coach Jacco Verhaeren will sit down with the nation's best coaches and athletes in coming months as officials try to forecast the impact of the new International Swimming League on preparations for the Tokyo Olympics. The sport stands on the verge of significant disruption when the professional ISL springs into life later inRead moreRead more
Mack Horton is officially over Sun Yang and his endless antics
Olympic champion Mack Horton says he has tuned out of the endless circus surrounding his great Chinese rival Sun Yang and hasn't thought twice about whether they will collide at this year's FINA World Championships in Korea. Since they stepped onto the pool deck in Rio, the careers of Horton and Sun have been intertwined.Read moreRead more
'A bit of fun': Chalmers claims national butterfly title
Freestyler Kyle Chalmers entered a butterfly race for the first time at the Australian swimming championships as "a bit of fun". Now, he's a national champion in the stroke after winning the 100m title in Adelaide on Sunday night. "I stuck my head down and tried to swim similar to how I swim freestyle racesRead moreRead more
'I’ve never met a nicer guy': Australian swimmers pay tribute to Kenneth To
Less than a week ago, James Magnussen was speaking to Kenneth To about his life in Hong Kong, the training camp in the US and his dreams of finally being able to swim at an Olympic Games. Nobody could deny the 26-year-old deserved that honour. Few swimmers had applied themselves with more energy and optimismRead moreRead more