Belinda Hocking shines in Women’s 200m backstroke heats – EnergyAustralia Swimming Championships
Belinda Hocking of Albury won the preliminary round of Women’s 200m backstroke on day six of the 2012 EnergyAustralia Swimming Championships at the South Australia Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Adelaide on Tuesday, March 20.
The 21-year-old Hocking made no mistake in her four-lap event and smothered all struggles of her challengers by producing a time of 2 minutes and 10.22 seconds. With her impressive performance, she remained 1.35 seconds ahead of Meagen Nay of St Peters Western
Swim Club, who hit the finishing end with the timing of 2 minutes and 11.57 seconds.
The 23-year-old Nay was chased by Mikka Sheridan of Chandler, who was almost one second slower from her former finisher and hit the finishing end with an effort of 2 minutes and 12.44 seconds.
Afterwards, Brenton Rickard is now one-step closer to defend his national title of Men’s 50m breaststroke as he dominated the qualification round of the discipline by posting 28.23 seconds.
The 28-year-old Rickard stayed 0.06 seconds ahead of Canberra’s Max Ireland, who emerge on the finishing wall as second best finisher by producing a time of 28.29 seconds. Ireland remained 0.16 seconds faster from James Stacey of Aquaburn, who qualified
into the semi-final as third fastest swimmer with the timing of 28.45 seconds.
In the meantime, Jessicah Schipper of Chandler proved her mettle in the Women’s 50m butterfly prelims. The 25-year-old Schipper remained almost two strokes ahead of Alice Tait and concluded her swim in a fastest time of 26.97 seconds. Her strongest competitor,
Tait remained 0.21 seconds slower from her and transpired on the finishing end as second best finisher by clocking 27.18 seconds.
Tait was chased by Schipper’s team-member, Lucia Lassman, who was just 0.03 seconds away from overwhelming her preceding swimmer and earned her qualification into the semi-final as third fastest swimmer with an effort of 27.21 seconds. The 13-year-old Lassman
was followed by triple Olympic gold medallist, St Peters Western Swim Club, Stephanie Rice, who qualified as fourth fastest swimmer with timing of 27.32 seconds.
Furthermore, these finalists will race each other in subsequent rounds of their exclusive events.
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