Sydney (AFP) – Olympic champions Ariarne Titmus and Emma McKeon return to the pool at the Commonwealth Games with a gold trudge and world data on their minds, heading an Australia swimming squad boasting “insane depth”.
After a breakout Tokyo Olympics where she dethroned American massive Katie Ledecky in the 200m and 400m freestyle, the dominant Titmus carried her fabricate into the Australian championships in May well perchance perchance also.
After narrowly lacking the long-standing 200m world file role in 2009, she broke Ledecky’s world impress over 400m by 0.06 seconds, touching in 3min 56.40sec.
Titmus, 21, then opted out of the world championships in Budapest, saving herself for the Commonwealth Games, where she’s going to be a red-hot popular.
“I am so excited and I ponder we have bought a enormous team coming into into. It be insane the depth we like,” acknowledged Titmus, the Commonwealth Games 400m and 800m champion.
That depth is illustrated by the inclusion of undisputed Olympic pool queen McKeon, who also missed the worlds.
Australia’s Emma McKeon gained seven swimming medals at the Tokyo Olympics Attila KISBENEDEK AFP/File
The 28-12 months-used gained a sparkling seven medals in Tokyo and also boasts a sparkling Commonwealth Games file — with eight gold and four bronze medals in two appearances at Glasgow in 2014 and the Gold Soar four years later.
McKeon has her sights role on beating the all-time file of 10 gold medals for an Australian, for the time being held collectively by fellow swimmers Ian Thorpe, Susie O’Neill and Leisel Jones.
She is again role to contest the 50m and 100m freestyle, but has excessive rivals from teen sensation Mollie O’Callaghan, who shy Swedish world file holder Sarah Sjostrom in Budapest to protect conclude the 100m free among her six medals.
McKeon acknowledged she would like to be at her most attention-grabbing given the at this time enhancing next technology.
“You never like to find too fully elated or complacent otherwise you is also no longer going to withhold working exhausting and withhold striving to be better,” she acknowledged.
The Commonwealth Games withhold a certain residing in McKeon’s coronary heart, along with her father Ron winning swimming golds in 1978 and 1982. Her mother, Susie Woodhouse, also competed in 1982.
‘Sturdy history’Australia also boast Olympic and world backstroke champion Kaylee McKeown, whereas pop megastar Cody Simpson made the grade after returning from a decade away specializing in a tune profession all whereby he labored with Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus.
However teenage backstroke hope Isaac Cooper will be lacking after he used to be despatched home over “wellbeing challenges, including the spend of treatment”.
Caleb Ewan will characteristic in Australia’s steady biking team at the Commonwealth Games Luca Bettini AFP
Australia topped the total medals desk at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, with 80 golds to England’s 45 and India’s 26.
As successfully as success in the pool, they’ll be eyeing extra glory in biking.
Australia, the stop-ranked biking nation at the previous seven Commonwealth Games, had been dominant in 2018, claiming 14 golds, but request a fancy disaster from host nation England.
Caleb Ewan and notice specialist Matthew Glaetzer, who is aiming for a hat-trick of golds in the keirin, will head the area in Birmingham.
Speed ace Ewan will target the boulevard trudge on August 7, giving him loads of time to scrub up after this 12 months’s Tour de France.
High jump world champion Eleanor Patterson spearheads Australia’s athletics team Jim WATSON AFP/File
Australia in point of fact like a steady athletics team spearheaded by newly topped excessive jump world champion Eleanor Patterson.
Commonwealth javelin champion Kathryn Mitchell and 2018 excessive jump gold medallist Brandon Starc could also characteristic.
Mitchell and marathon runner Eloise Wellings will be at their fifth Games — the main Australian notice-and-area athletes to carry out the feat.
“I never imagined I would hurry to that many,” acknowledged Mitchell.
“Australia has the kind of steady history which I judge creates a certain team vibe.”
Australia even like megastar energy in women folks’s cricket, where the world champions led by Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy will birth up as steady favourites for gold.
© 2022 AFP