Four days of hot competition in the pressure cooker atmosphere of the Hobart Aquatic Centre resulted in a rewriting of the record books.
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As the mercury climbed, nearly 500 swimmers competed at the Tasmanian long-course championships.
The stands were filled to capacity with Tasmanian and interstate swimmers and supporters as state championships, qualifying times for the Australian age titles in Sydney in April, and personal bests were achieved.
In an impressive display ahead of the Special Olympics in Adelaide in April and the Down syndrome world championships in Canada in July, multiclass swimmer Aran Miller, 23, of Exeter, claimed one world and two national records.
He set a Down syndrome world record in the 100 metre butterfly in 1:15.66 in addition to his two earlier Down Syndrome Swimming Australia records in the 100m freestyle (1:09.27) and 200m individual medley (2:55.47). Miller, who trains with South Esk, also won state championships in the 100m freestyle, 200m individual medley, 100m fly and 100m back.
Emily Mitchell, 12, of Launceston Aquatic, set a new state 12 years 200m backstroke benchmark in 2:31.72. She claimed two state titles: in the girls’ 12-13 100m and 200m backstroke.
Other records went to: Stefanie McCarthy (Hobart Aquatic), state and allcomer 14 years 100m freestyle (57.56) and 50m breaststroke (34.07) and then again in the finals (33.73); James Clues (HA), state 12 years 200m breaststroke (2:38.22); Aurora Giuliani (HA), state 12 years 200m freestyle (2:16.02).
Nicole Briscoe, 12, of Geelong, and Sam Willgoose, 17, of Nunawading, broke all-comer records in the 12 years 100m back and 17 years 50m back respectively; and Col Pearse, of Melbourne H2O, set five provisional multiclass records.
Swimmers from the North and North-West claimed a number of state titles.
State champions from Burnie were Nicholas Plats with three titles and Patrick Roberts, also 18, with six.
Mitchell’s Launceston Aquatic clubmates Jazz Irani, 12, (200m fly), Jade Nichols, 15, (400m IM) and Georgia Woods, 14, (200m breast) are also state champions.
Aside from Miller, South Esk’s Rebecca Clarke, 11 (200m free, 100m free, 100m back), Jonathan Clarke, 15 (100m breast, 200m breast and 200m freestyle multiclass) and Hugh Dolle, 13 (100m free), also won gold.
Riverside Aquatic’s state champions are: Will Bonney, 16, (50m free, 200m breast, 100m breast); Marcus Darko, 16, (200m back); Kiaran Gillies, 16, (800m free x 2, 1500m); Zane Hadley, 14, (100m and 200m back); Emily Lonergan, 16, (100m and 200m breast); William Jones, 13, (100m breast) and Chelsea Savage, 15, (200m IM and 100m fly).