Trials start with new world record

This morning’s heats at the Commonwealth Games swimming trials were highlighted by a new World record.

Brisbane’s Jade Edmistone set the new World mark for the 50 metres breaststroke with a time of 30.31 seconds, which bettered her previous best of 30.45 seconds achieved at last year’s World Championships.

Edmistone, who has been having trouble with her back of late, was surprised at breaking the previous World record.

“I was a bit nervous and my back has been playing up of late.”

“I was focussed totally on the 100 (metres) and this is a surprise.”

Edminstone heads into tonight’s semi finals and will be up against some tough competition from the likes of fellow Queenslander Leisel Jones and Sydney 2000 OIympian Tarnee White.

Jodie Henry, Jessicah Schipper and Libby Lenton were all in action today in heats of the 200 metres freestyle.

Only Lenton, who recorded a time of two minutes ten seconds and finished second fastest behind 16 year old Ashleigh McCleary, was able to draw some confidence from her heat time this morning.

Henry, who finished third her heat but will not contest the final, was just happy to get into the pool and dust off any cobwebs she had.

“It was alright, but it was just a hit out.”

“I always swim before my main events just to dust off the cobwebs.”

John Fowlie, Edmistone and Henry’s coach had similar feelings about how to describe one of his swimmers setting a new world record.

“I was a bit surprised.”

Despite Henry making a B final for the 200 metres freestyle, Fowlie has decided to withdraw it as the event as it is not part of her program that she had trained her leading into the trials.

Many of Australia’s stars had a low key first day at the meet and some were simply happy to get in the pool and prepare themselves for their main events later in the week, including star backstroke Matt Welsh.

Welsh swam a heat of the 50 metres breaststroke, but he was content with using it solely as preparation for his backstroke events later this week.

“It was a good starting point for the week.”

Australian Deaflympics swimming hero, Scott Prosser, had a day an indifferent day failing to qualify for the finals.

In a bumper night of finals, the highlights will be women’s 200 metre individual medley final featuring Brooke Hanson and the men’s 400 metre freestyle final featuring Commonwealth Games medal favourite Craig Stevens.

Related Article:

Stars confident leading into trials (Sun Jan 29)

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