Trials & Tribulations
It was an Olympic Trials that had everything. The last week was a rollercoaster of emotions for Australia's top swimmers putting everything on the line, to try to secure a coveted spot on the team to Paris.
The Funky Trunks F-Team athletes have done an incredible job with 5 Funky Trunkers making the team and 1 Funkita athlete. Here’s a quick look at how they did it.
Ben Armbruster
What a meet it was for Ben. Two massive PBs in the finals of the Men’s 50m Freestyle and 100m Butterfly got Ben up onto the podium and onto the plane to Paris in his pet events. Ben has been notching up faster times all year and has now converted at exactly the right time to secure his two individual swims and a possible relay. Ben summed up his Trials in a few words.
“I was tapered, I felt unreal. I was very calm and ready to go.”
Ben grew up in the rural Queensland town of Stanthorpe driving an hour to the indoor pool for training before returning home to go to school. He will have all of Stanthorpe up all night when he finally steps onto the blocks in Paris.
Event: 50m freestyle
Time: 21.84
Place: 2
Event: 100m butterfly
Time: 51.23
Place: 2
Maximillian Giuliani
Our Tassie boy made a name for himself last year when he clocked the second fastest Australian time in history behind Ian Thorpe in the 200m Freestyle. Since that race last December, Max has been training intensely making it almost impossible to gauge his progress since then.
Olympic Trials can do strange things to athletes, and the 200m final was stacked with Australia's best male swimmers. However fully tapered, Max held his nerve in an incredible race hitting the wall first in a time of 1:45.83 claiming an individual and relay position for Paris. As Max said the race was all about heart, and there is no doubt he has shown that throughout his career.
Event: 200m freestyle
Time: 1:45.83
Place: 1
Event: 100m freestyle
Time: 49.17
Place: 8
Brendon Smith
Tokyo Bronze medalist in the Men’s 400m Individual Medley, Smith has had a rollercoaster ride over the last few years with injury setbacks to overcome. On the final night of Trials for his main event the 400m Individual Medley, Brendon put in everything he had to be the fastest Aussie to touch the wall and under the Swimming Australia Qualifying Time. It was an extraordinary swim to get him back to the form he displayed in 2021 and now with the chance to go even faster in Paris. His silver in the 200m Individual Medley also means he should be able to line up for that race as well.
Event: 200m freestyle
Time: 1:47.53
Place: 8
Event: 400m freestyle
Time: 3:48.79
Event: 200m IM
Time: 1:58.12
Place: 2
Event: 400m IM
Time: 4:10.18
Place: 1
Isaac Cooper
Off to his second Olympics, it was a meet where Cooper held his nerve in the Men’s 100m Backstroke to get his hand on the wall first. In the 100m events this is critical for individual and relay selection. It was a nail-biting finish to Isaac’s pet event the Men’s 50m Freestyle. He clocked 3rd behind Cam McEvoy and Ben Armbruster.
Event: 100m backstroke
Time: 53.46
Place: 1
Event: 50m freestyle
Time: 21.97
Place: 3
Jack Ireland
An individual medalist from the 2022 Commonwealth Games and repeat medalist at the World Para Swimming Championships, Jack Ireland has had one thing on his mind since Tokyo and that has been to qualify for the Paralympics. Not only did Jack make the cut, he smashed the Qualifying Time, and was the fastest S14 in his pet event; the 200m Freestyle. Jack has also put his hand up for the S14 Relay in Paris as he was the fastest in the Men’s 100m Freestyle Final for S14 athletes, too.
Event: 200m freestyle
Time: 1:54.22
Place: 1
As Jack said, "I really wanted to hit the QT in the heat to take the pressure off the final, and I did that. Was really happy with my race and really happy to make the team."
Funkita athlete and World Champs Gold Medallist Iona Anderson has also qualified for her first Games. Clocking 3rd behind superstars Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan in the Women’s 100m Backstroke, Iona will likely get a relay swim and possibly an individual swim if Mollie drops the event from her busy program.
Event: 100m backstroke
Time: 58.43
Place: 3
Event: 200m backstroke
Time: 2:09.22
Place: 4
Keep an eye out for our Aussie F-Teamers who will suit up in their APEX Predator X and take to the world stage in July!