The Bull Sharks are owning the water at the Australian Swimming Championships with our 4x100m medley relay side setting the event’s first record.
The team, which consisted of Hancock Prospecting Swimming Excellence Scholarship holders Flynn Southam and Fergus McLachlan plus young guns Gideon Burnes and Jesse Coleman boiled the water of the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre as they shattered the existing 18 years and under record by six seconds.
Bond Director of Swimming Kyle Samuelson said it was a win to be celebrated and had given the entire Bull Sharks squad a boost.
“That was a great swim, it was the first Australian record all week,” he said.
“It is pretty hard to set records in outdoor pools and I can’t see too many being set throughout the event.’’
It was one of a number of gold medals claimed by Bond swimmers in the age championships which were featured in the first week.
Burnes also has two individual golds in the 17s bracket after claiming the 100m and 200m breaststroke double, both under the qualifying times for the world junior championships.
Mikayla Bird’s gold in the 15 years 200m butterfly was also under the qualifying time.
Southam has been in terrific form also, winning the 50m freestyle and producing two sub 48 second 100m relay swims as he prepares for the individual 100m and 200m freestyle.
The 17-year-old also has a full card of racing against World and Olympic champions when the Open Championships start on Monday and Samuelson has backed him in to handle the workload.
“It is not new to him, he’s raced both age and open events before,” he said.
“We do so much training it is refreshing to do some racing and he has been swimming really fast.
“He is ranked pretty highly in the 100m and 200m in the open division but he’ll need to swim pretty quick in that company. “
Bird will also double up for the 100m and 200m butterfly in the second week.
Other Bondies in action in the Open Championships include Josh Collett in 50m and 100m breaststroke, Milla Jansen in 50m and 100m freestyle, Jesse Coleman in the 100m butterfly and Commonwealth Games representative Ben Armbruster in the 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly.