Early-season performance from Emily Seebohm crushes hopes of her challengers – Swimming News
Emily Seebohm has crushed hopes of her challengers through her nerve-wrecking form in the 100m backstroke at the 2012 New South Wales (NSW) State Open Championships, last week.
The 19-year-old Seebohm upset her national team-members by clinching gold medal of the Women’s 100m backstroke with an effort of 59.36 seconds. Her time is the fastest in the 2012 early-season so far and it has dropped USA’s Missy Franklin to the second spot as she submitted an effort of 59.92 seconds at the 2012 Austin Grand Prix.
The multi-stroke specialist, Seebohm was part of the Australian team that won gold medal of the 4*100m medley relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She won a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke at the 2009 World Championships while captured a gold medal in the same at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
With her continued ascendancy, Seebohm claimed gold medals of 100m backstroke and 200m Individual Medley at the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine.
Furthermore, the teenage Australian star is happy with her fastest effort in the 2012 and has the desire to post a sub 59 seconds effort at the next month’s Australian Selection Trials for the London Olympics, which are scheduled in Adelaide from March 15 to 22.
“I get so close to it and I really want to do it so hopefully it comes at trials because I'm waiting for it. It's looking good at the moment but I've just got to keep training hard and work at taper and work at my skills and hopefully that sub 59 comes,” Seebohm said.
Seebohm and Franklin are the only swimmers, who have posted a sub one minute effort in the backstroke discipline in 2012. Rachel Bootsma of USA stands on the third best spot as she posted 1 minute and 00.03 seconds, last month.
The fourth and fifth spots are secured by Seebohm’s teammates, Belinda Hocking and Sophie Edington, who clocked 1:00.17 and 1:00.56 minutes, respectively.
Seebohm is now chasing her dream to improve her speed before the Australian Trials while her covet has sent a startling message to her rivals, who will compete with her at the London Olympics.
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