Leiston Pickett wins Women’s 50m breaststroke semi-final – EnergyAustralia Swimming Championships
Leiston Pickett of Southport Olympic Swimming Club excelled in the semi-final of Women’s 50m breaststroke on seventh day of the 2012 EnergyAustralia Swimming Championships at the South Australia Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Adelaide on Wednesday, March
21.
With her invincible efforts, Pickett overpowered the fastest qualifying swimmer, Lorna Tonks with a considerable distance and reached the finishing end with the timing of 31.28 seconds.
Her effort remained 1.48 seconds slower from the world record of 29.80 seconds, set by USA’s Jessica Hardy in 2009. She was also 1.12 seconds slower from the national mark of 30.16 seconds, set by Sarah Katsoulis in 2009.
With her smothering efforts in the second round of the discipline, she stayed 0.54 seconds ahead of Nunawading’s Katsoulis, who sustained her second fastest spot of the event and hit the finishing end with the timing of 31.82 seconds. She was trailed by
Lorna Tonks of Redcliffe League, who failed to sustain her position and dropped down to third spot of the event by hitting the wall with the timing of 31.89 seconds.
The 23-year-old Tonks was chased by Samantha Marshall of Melbourne, who stayed 0.33 seconds behind and completed her race in a time of 32.22 seconds for fourth position.
In the meantime, the arena witnessed ruthless efforts of Melbourne’s Linley Frame and Taylor McKeown, who ended in a joint finish for fifth spot of the race. Frame and McKeown stayed 0.40 seconds slower from Marshall and tapped the finishing blockade with
the timing of 32.62 seconds.
They were trailed by Libby Forbes of Nunawading, who stayed 0.05 seconds slower from her foregoing swimmer and reached the finishing wall with the timing of 32.67 seconds. The last qualification spot of the race was obtained by Amelia Dahlitz of Norwood,
who secured eighth position of the discipline by clocking an effort of 32.70 seconds.
The crowd acknowledged astounding efforts of all contestants, who tried to secure their place in the playoff. In addition, Pickett was delighted with her accomplishment in the single lap event and aroused hopes of her supporters by claiming that she will
try to excel in the final round.
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