RICE RACES TO ROME IN FREESTYLE AND MEDLEY

SYDNEY, March 17: Triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice (St Peters Western, QLD) has enjoyed a triumphant first night at the Telstra Australian Swimming Championship at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

Rice secured individual swims at the FINA Rome World championships in both the women's 200m freestyle and women's 200m individual medley.

She successfully defended her title in the 200m IM with a time of 2.11.00, but was pushed all the way by fellow Olympian Emily Seebohm (Brothers, QLD) who claimed silver in 2.12.75.

Rice and Seebohm went stroke for stroke in the backstroke leg and both women put in strong breaststroke performances to remain on even terms.

Turning into the freestyle, Rice held a narrow lead which she extended over the final metres.

"I always knew it was going to be really tough," said Rice.

"It was hard to line up before that race. I wasn't as focused as I would have liked so to come away with a 2.11 is still a really solid swim, especially after the preparation I've had, I'm really happy.

"I've proven to myself I'm in really good shape, and it's given me a lot of confidence for the rest of the meet."

Rice admitted backing up for both finals on the same night had been challenging.

"I would love to be able to do them on separate days so that I can give 100 percent to both races, but with the program being the way it is this meet I just had to deal with it.

"Thankfully at Rome they are not on the same day so I'd love to be able to see some better times there."

The future continues to look bright for 16-year-old Olympic backstroker, Seebohm.

"I gave it my best shot. I'm only 16 now and I really think that I've got a lot of room to improve. I've got to still develop all my muscles, I'm only doing a certain load for the age that I am," Seebohm said.

Bronze went to Junior Pan Pac champion Ellen Fullerton (Pro-Ma Miami, QLD), who like Rice was backing up after the 200m freestyle final, where she also finished third.

In that final earlier in the evening, it was another Olympic backstroker Meagen Nay (St Peters Western, QLD) who took victory in a tightly contested event. Nay finished with her second personal best of the day in 1.57.90, with the Olympic 200m backstroke finalist leading narrowly from start to finish and holding off the challenges of the rest of the field.

"I knew it was anyone's race, and was pretty nervous tonight but I got there and it's another PB, so I'm pretty happy," said Nay, who's father Robbie represented Australia in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Rice claimed silver with a solid swim, touching the wall in 1.57.98.

Fullerton stepped up to take the bronze, touching in 1.58.05, ahead of Olympic champion and equal Australian record holder Bronte Barratt (Albany Creek, QLD), who was just behind Fullerton with a time of 1.58.19.

Merindah Dingjan (Southside Wesley, WA) took out fifth spot with an impressive final lap to finish in 1.58.52, with dual Olympic Felicity Galvez (SOPAC, NSW) claiming sixth in 1.58.71.

All six women will be in consideration for the Telstra Dolphins World Championship Team, and all were under the A-qualifying time for the event.

D'ARCY FLIES TO NEW AUSTRALIAN RECORD

Nick D'Arcy (Maroochydore, QLD) broke his own Australian record in the men's 200m butterfly, winning in stunning fashion by more than a body length over the rest of the field to touch in 1.54.46.

"I'm obviously very happy with the swim. I'm came in here cautiously optimistic, with the preparation a little bit up and down, some emotionally draining issues, so I came here just hoping to make the team," said D'Arcy, who acknowledged the emotions of this championship win were very different to victory in the event twelve months ago.

"To get the Australian record is just exciting. This particular swim was more of a happy swim.  The one last year I was just determined to go to the Games but now the emotion is just taking each swim as it comes, not taking anything for granted.

"With everything that's gone on I've had to grow up a lot, and that's been a positive influence on my swimming."

Silver went to Christopher Wright (Commercial, QLD) in 1.56.81, who will join D'Arcy in the event in Rome, and bronze to Lachlan Staples (Kingswim, NSW) with a time of 1.57.53.

HURLEY HEADS NEXT GENERATION IN 400M FREESTYLE

Robert Hurley (Wests Illawarra Aquatic, NSW) became the fourth fastest Australian of all time in winning the men's 400m freestyle in impressive fashion, recording a time of 3.46.64.

Junior Pan Pac champion Ryan Napoleon (St Peters Western, QLD) took silver in 3.48.02, meeting the A-qualifying time to secure a swim at the world championships.

Napoleon led for the first half of the race, with 20-year-old Hurley pushing hard before leveling at the 250m metre mark. Hurley's turns were a highlight and with 50m to go he powered away from the wall to win convincingly.

"I'm really stoked to the follow the names of Hackett and Thorpe. It's good to be a title holder in this event. What I'm doing at the moment with [coach] Vince Raleigh is working really well," said Hurley, who has several races left in the meet.

 "The plan after this [meet] is to do a training camp in Arizona. I'm hoping to get a good three weeks of altitude training under my belt that leads to a bit more improvement in Rome."

MARIEKE'S COMMONWEALTH RECORD

Marieke Guehrer (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) set a new Commonwealth and Australian record of 25.76 in her semi-final of the women's 50m butterfly, and will be aiming to take the national title in the final tomorrow night.

Olympic champions Libby Trickett (SOPAC, NSW - 26.27) and Jessicah Schipper (Commercial, QLD - 25.56) are the second and third fastest qualifiers respectively, and will be looking to gain an individual swim in the event in Rome.

Other finalists include Olympian Galvez (SOPAC, NSW - 26.58), and Ellese Zalewski (Unattached - 27.27).

Ben Treffers (Burley Griffin, NSW) will be swimming in lane four in tomorrow night's men's 50m backstroke final after posting the fastest time in tonight's semi-finals, stopping the clock in 25.10.

Treffers, whose father won Commonwealth gold for New Zealand, will face tough competition from Olympian Ashley Delaney (Nunawading, VIC), Olympic bronze medallist in the 100m backstroke Hayden Stoeckel (Norwood, SA) and Daniel Arnamnart (Aquaburn, NSW).

Dual Olympian Tarnee White (Chandler, QLD) continued her fine form in the women's 50m breaststroke semi-final to be the fastest qualifier for tomorrow night's final with a time of 30.85. Her heat time of 30.45 this morning moved her up to second all-time fastest Australian - and was only a fraction outside the world record.

White will be challenged by 17-year-old Leiston Pickett (Southport Olympic, QLD) who's PB time tonight of 31.06 has seen her go from ninth to fifth fastest all-time.

Australian representative Sarah Katsoulis (Nunawading, VIC - 31.09) and world record holder Jade Richards nee Edmistone (Chandler, QLD - 31.49) will be among the other finalists also fighting for a place on the Telstra Dolphins team.

COWDREY ON SONG IN THE 50M FREESTYLE

Paralympic champion Matthew Cowdrey (Norwood, SA) took out the men's 50m freestyle multi-disability ahead of Ben Cochrane (Southern Cross, QLD), and Andrew Pasterfield (Castle Hill RSL Dolphins, NSW).

Prue Watt (Nunawading, VIC) took gold in the women's 50m freestyle multi-disability final, with silver going to Jacqueline Freney (Aqua Z, NSW) and bronze to Nerice Holland (Chandler, QLD).

In the women's 100m breaststroke multi-disability final, gold went to two-time Paralympian Sarah Bowen (Geelong City Aquatic, VIC), silver to Kayla Clarke (Woogaroo, QLD) and the bronze to Madeleine Scott (Southlake Dolphins, SA).

Blake Cochrane (Southern Cross, QLD) took gold in the men's 100m breaststroke multi-disability championship, with silver won by Grant Patterson (Central Cairns, QLD) and bronze went to Rick Pendleton (Bayside, NSW).

In the men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay, the Melbourne Vicentre (VIC) team took gold in 3.20.67, a new club record, while SOPAC Swim Club (NSW) grabbed the silver in 3.23.64. Bronze was won by Cranbrook Eastern Edge (NSW) in 3.24.30.