Red-hot Olympic gold medal shot sends ominous warning

Gold Coast: Australian swimming prodigy Mollie O’Callaghan bolstered her status as the top women’s 200m freestyler in the world on Saturday night, dominating the final at the national titles and getting within a second of the world record she owns.

It was a battle on the Gold Coast between 20-year-old speedster O’Callaghan, the reigning world champion, and 23-year-old Australian superstar Ariarne Titmus, the defending Olympic gold medallist.

O’Callaghan took hold of the lead early and lengthened her gap on the field as she charged through the four-lap race, clocking 1:53.57 under rainy skies at Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

For now, the Ipswich product’s world record of 1:52.85, set in her triumphant swim at last year’s world championships in Fukuoka, remains intact.

But the fact she got so close to breaking it in an “in-training phase” — she didn’t taper for the national titles because on the horizon are the Olympic trials and Paris Games — suggests she’s a great chance of cracking the mark when she’s fitter and fresher come the middle of the year.

O’Callaghan became the first woman in the world this year to crack the 1:54.00 barrier.

Titmus finished second in 1:55.38 and rising distance swimmer Lani Pallister grabbed third place with a time of 1:55.99.

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Since O’Callaghan became a global force at the 2022 world championships in Budapest, where she won her first individual global gold medal, she’s repeatedly said she’s not satisfied and wants to go quicker.

The insatiable competitor was her relentless self on Saturday night.

“I think that’s the beauty of the sport; you always try for the next level,” O’Callaghan told reporters poolside.

“Even if you achieve everything you can get more out of yourself. That’s something I’m definitely doing; trying to push that little bit further and further each time I race … I would have liked to go faster [tonight]. I think I always do, no matter what I do. But it was pretty good.”

It’s highly likely that either O’Callaghan or Australian backstroke queen Kaylee McKeown will win the most gold medals of all Australians at the Paris Games.

O’Callaghan will start as favourite in the 100m and 200m freestyle — she’s the reigning world champion in both events — and Australia is tipped to win the 4x100m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle. Australia is also a genuine chance of winning the 4x100m medley and 4x100m mixed medley, potentially resulting in O’Callaghan hauling in six gold medals.

McKeown will begin as favourite in the women’s 100m and 200m backstroke, and could also win gold medals in the 200m individual medley, 4x100m medley, 4x100m mixed medley and 4x200m freestyle.

McKeown was another top performer on the final night of the national championships, winning the 200m backstroke final with a time of 2:03.84. The three-time Olympic gold medallist fell just 0.70 of a second outside her own world record.

Australian sprinting phenom Kyle Chalmers claimed gold in the men’s 100m freestyle, registering 47.63.

Emma McKeon, Australia’s most decorated Olympian, won the women’s 100m butterfly with a time of 56.58.

Pallister dominated the 1500m freestyle, rocketing through the race in 15:49.17.

The national championships are separate to the Olympic selection trials, which will take place in Brisbane from June 10-15.