CANBERRA — A dominant Lani Pallister swept to victory in the 1500m freestyle at the Australian trials on Saturday to cap a marquee week where she also won the 400m and 800m in super-quick times.
The 24-year-old touched in 15mins 40.01, with only American great Katie Ledecky faster this year.
“I was a little bit shocked,” she said. “I wanted to swim it kind of a little bit more even, and it’s probably the best I felt all week.
“It’s going to be a really big summer and I’m excited to go away and compete with the Brits at Commonwealth Games, and then the Yanks and the Canadians as well (at Panpacs),” she said according to AFP.
The six-day trials act as qualifying for not just the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next month, but also the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California, in August.
Pallister has enjoyed a stellar 18 months, stepping up to fill the shoes of retired teammate and freestyle star Ariarne Titmus.
During the meet, she came second to Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan in a new personal best to match Canada’s Summer McIntosh as the fifth fastest woman ever over 200m.
Pallister also posted a sub-four minute swim in winning the 400m freestyle and convincingly took out the 800m.
In other events, Cameron McEvoy and Kyle Chalmers were favourites for the 50m butterfly, but were upset by Ben Armbruster by the narrowest of margins.
Armbruster hit the wall in 22.90 with a final lunge to edge McEvoy (22.92) and Chalmers (22.97).
World champion Meg Harris stormed through the 50m freestyle in a world-leading 24.08 ahead of Shayna Jack (24.37), with O’Callaghan withdrawing after winning both the 100m and 200m freestyle.
“I’m pretty happy with it, especially next to Shayna,” said Harris, who came second behind O’Callaghan in the 100m freestyle. “I executed the race pretty well.”
William Petric won the men’s 400m medley in 4:11.04 while Jenna Forrester clinched the women’s race in 4:31.47, second only this year to world record holder McIntosh.
