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Cody Simpson in final chance to qualify for Tokyo Olympics

Live coverage of pop star's chance to make the Men's Swimming Team is on Amazon Prime.

Finals Day 6 action at the 2021 Australian Swimming Trials will see pop singer Cody Simpson in his last chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, after finishing 6th in this morning’s heats.

Tonight’s broadcast from the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre on Amazon Prime Video will culminate with the announcement of the Games team.

Pop sensation, former junior champion, turned swimming sprinter Cody Simpson will get his chance to qualify for the team tonight after a sensational heats swim this morning to book a spot in the men’s 100m fly final. Emily Seebohm OAM and Kaylee McKeown will go head-to-head in the women’s 200m backstroke, Ariarne Titmus lines up for the women’s 800m, and Cate Campbell OAM is the fastest qualifier in women’s 50m freestyle. In the men’s 50m freestyle, Grayson Bell and Cam McEvoy have qualified equal fastest.

7.00PM AEST Thursday, June 17 on Amazon Prime Video.

W 200 BACK: Three-time world champion Emily Seebohm OAM, who qualified for the Dolphin’s team in the 100m earlier this meet, cruised home in the heats this morning to post the fastest time and earn lane four for the final (2:10.36). Kaylee McKeown, winner of the 100m backstroke and the 200m individual medley at these trials, won her heat to qualify second fastest for tonight’s final in 2:10.52. However, expect McKeown to step up a gear tonight and shave seconds from her time. McKeown posted the fourth fastest time in history with her 2:04.31 swim at the recent Sydney Open meet.

M 100 FLY: The most anticipated race of the trials for many watching globally on Amazon Prime Video is finally here. Cody Simpson stepped up to the block to swim in the heats of the 100m fly and he delivered. Simpson, the former pop star and national age champion, who has received more attention than any other swimmer in the lead-up to these trials, swam an impressive heat to clock a 52.84 and PB for the 100m. Simpson finished behind Matt Temple (51.79), winner of the 200m fly at the trials, and Shaun Campion (52.15) in his heat, but Simpson’s performance was fast enough to qualify in sixth place for the final.

David Morgan and Bowen Gough are also in with a chance. Expect it to be a fierce battle that generates plenty of attention worldwide tonight at the Australian Trials.

W 800 FREE: Ariarne Titmus has been the record breaker of these Swimming Trials. Titmus has broken a record in every final she has contested, booking her spot on the Games team in the 200m and 400m freestyle. Titmus is the seventh fastest swimmer in history in the 800m freestyle with her 8:15.70 to win silver at the World Champs in 2019. In the battle for the podium, Maddy Gough and Kiah Melverton, who finished one-two in the 1500m last night to book their Games spots, look set to set to push Titmus all the way.

W 50 FREE: It’s the women’s splash-and-dash and Cate Campbell OAM made it known she is still queen of the sprint race in the heats this morning. Campbell, who won a spot on her fourth Games team last night by finishing second in the 100m freestyle, powered home to win her heat in the 50m in 24.04. In-form Emma McKeon won her heat in commanding fashion, posting 24.46. Holly Barratt, 33, is the third fastest qualifier for tonight’s final in 24.51. Meg Harris (24.64), Madison Wilson (24.66), Bronte Campbell (24.76), Molly O’Callaghan (24.85) and Abbey Webb (25.19) are also through.

M 50 FREE: It shapes as a thriller final this evening that will be all over in 22 seconds or less. Incredibly, less than half a second splits the field of eight racing in the final. Grayson Bell is the equal fastest qualifier with Cameron McAvoy for the final after both posting 22.08 in their heats. McAvoy, is the third fastest Australian of all time in this event and will be keen to secure an individual swim at the Games. The question is, will he be able eclipse his PB of 21.44 from five years ago?

James Roberts is the third fastest qualifier (22.18), with Ash Brinkworth (22.24), Jack Cartwright (22.26), Matthew Targett (22.37), Thomas Nowakowski (22.53) and Will Stockwell (22.53) all through to the final.

But Australia’s 50m freestyle sprinters will have to pull out all stops in the men’s splash-and-dash to go under the 21.77 qualifying time to make the team in July.

M 1500 FREE: The 1500m race is the holy grail of events for Australian men’s swimming, following in the footsteps of the swimming icons Grant Hackett OAM, and Ian Thorpe AM of Australian Swimming past. Looming as a battle between the old and the new, led by Rio Olympian and Commonwealth games gold medallist Jack McLoughlin, winner of the 800m freestyle here earlier in the week. McLoughlin narrowly missed the final in Rio in this event.

Thomas Neill, who came second here in the 800m but failed to go under the qualifying time, will be striving to qualify for the Games team as the other swimmer. Neill has posted one sub-15 minute swim with a 14:59.19, finishing second in the World Junior Championships in Budapest in 2019. Neill will need a PB here to go under the 14:55.06 QT.

Other contenders include Sam Short who completed an eye-catching national age championship with his personal best of 15:02.48, and a sub-15 minute could be on the cards for him here.

Commentating on the finals are Olympic gold medallists Grant Hackett OAM and Giaan Rooney OAM, Olympic silver medallist Nicole Livingstone OAM, and Paralympic gold medallist Annabelle Williams OAM. Sports broadcaster and journalist Matt White will serve as host, with veteran sports caller Jon Harker handling all the action in the pool.

The live stream on Amazon Prime Video will come to a conclusion tonight following the finals. Replays for all heats and finals will be available to stream a short time after the conclusion of each race.

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