Swimming 2022: All the news and results from the world shortcourse championships in Melbourne
Some of the biggest names in swimming headline the Australian contingent as the country prepares to host its first world champs in 15 years. And the word is the team is definitely up and about.
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Dreams of familiar faces and mullets among a sea of green and gold in the stands have Aussie swimmers reinvigorated for this week’s world championships despite a “long year” competing around the globe, relay specialist Madi Wilson says.
The shortcourse (25m) championships kick off at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre Tuesday, marking the first FINA worlds event to be held in Australia since the long-course edition in 2007.
Wilson helped swim the Aussies to four gold medals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and a pair of top gongs at the long-course worlds in Budapest but says any lingering fatigue from the action-packed year is swiftly outshone by excitement to perform in front of a home crowd.
“The team is actually buzzing, which was kind of unexpected. We thought after a long year everyone would be a bit tired and a bit down,” Wilson said.
“But I think everyone‘s just excited to be able to be at home, in front of their friends and family.
“We know it‘s our crowd up there — we know there’s going to be mullets up there, we know that there’s going to be green and gold up there — so that just brings the energy in itself.”
Big names Kyle Chalmers, Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon and Mack Horton headline the strong Aussie contingent set to compete.
The squad held a training camp in Bendigo in the lead-up to the event, with the rare opportunity to connect with home fans “really special”, Wilson said.
The open camp was an example of Swimming Australia’s ramped up efforts to connect with the community more as it attempts to cash in on a 10-year window of opportunity kicked off by this week’s worlds, with an eye on the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria and the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
Hosting the shortcourse worlds came after the event was stripped from Kazan, Russia, due to the invasion of Ukraine.
Sceptics could argue FINA, like other global sporting bodies, have been led down the path of sportswashing in recent times — since 2011, five of 12 world events were to be held in either China, Russia or Qatar before this event was moved to Melbourne — with president Husain Al-Musallam on Sunday emphasising the return to Australia was about “solidarity, unity, (and) family”.
“It’s very important for FINA to be in Australia. For us to come here, we want to show our commitment to develop, maintain and give support to Australian swimming,” Al-Musallam said.
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It gives Swimming Australia a “runway” it will aim to “leverage”, SA chief executive Eugenie Buckley said.
“We’re delighted to be welcoming the world back to Australia after a 15-year absence.
“Now, it is such a pleasure for us to be able to host … in front of passionate crowds at MSAC. We’re trying to reinvigorate that community back into swimming.”
Originally published as Swimming 2022: All the news and results from the world shortcourse championships in Melbourne
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