Australian Age Championships, Day 6: Hayley Mackinder Praises Coaches Tommy Fraser-Holmes and Mel Marshall As She Keeps Abreast Of The Times
Rising Australian breaststroke star Hayley Mackinder has praised Gold Coast coaching duo, Olympian Tommy Fraser-Holmes and newly appointed former British Olympic gold medal coach Mel Marshall after a breakthrough personal best performance at the National Age Championships in Brisbane last night.
The former Victorian joined the sub 1:08 club as Australia claws its way back to the forefront of women’s breaststroke swimming, winning the 17 years 100m breaststroke in 1:07.70 – her first time under 1:08.00.
LAUNCHING PAD: Hayley Mackinder porepres foir her 100m breaststroke final in Brisbane. Photo Courtesy Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia
And under the qualifying time for the World Junior Championship selection for Romania in August.
Earlier in the meet, 16-year-old Sienna Toohey from Albury in NSW (coached by Wayne Gould) broke Leisel Jones 16 years Australian breaststroke record and Megan Quann’s All-Comers record with her 1:07.04 with both girls setting their sights on the sub 1:07 barrier.
And the retirements of Olympians Chelsea Hodges and Jenna Strauch leave some big shoes to fill as the jostling begins for places on the LA28 Olympic team.
Post-race, Mackinder immediately paid tribute to her Griffith University coach Fraser-Holmes – a 2012 London Olympian and a world class IM swimmer and freestyler and then revealed she had also been working with decorated former British coach Mel Marshall – now head coach at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.
At the start of 2023, the Mackinder family relocated from Geelong to the Gold Coast to support the now 17-year-old’s swimming career and the move paid immediate dividends resulting in selection – and a gold medal in Australia’s 4x100m medley relay at the 2023 World Championships in Israel.
Mackinder’s win gives her the 100m-200m breaststroke double – the 200m also in a personal best of 2:26.55.
PERONAL BEST: Hayley Mackinder after her PB in Brisbane Photo Courtesy Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia
Under Fraser-Holmes, Mackinder made the Australian Junior Teram and with Marshall now heading the Griffith program the teenager has the opportunity to work with the coach who guided Adam Peaty to three Olympic gold and eight world championship breaststroke titles as he re-wrote the world record books in the 50 and 100km breaststroke.
“I wouldn’t be here without my coach Tommy (Fraser-Holmes), I have to thank him so much … but right now I have to stay focused,” she said.
“I’ve also started working with Mel Marshall to take away the emotion and pressure before a race and she will say to me – ‘how you feel doesn’t matter’ so I’ve worked really hard on that.
“The last 12 months have been a bit rough, I had my first real injury to build back from.
“I was with Mel (Marshall at the NSW Opens and admittedly I wasn’t swimming my best there but I went into that meet trying to learn as much as I could of her, to take it all back home, apply it in training … I feel like I’m just at a point now that I’m trying to be a sponge and soak up everything I can, to try and learn and take on opportunities.”
In other events:
IN THE SWING OF THINGS: Ainsley Trotter (Bond, QLD) prepares for her final. Photo Courtesy Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia
Ainsley Trotter (Bond, QLD) added the 50m freestyle to her Australian All-Comers record in the 50m backstroke, in a time of 25.50 to claim her second gold of the meet. Zoe Pedersen (New Zealand) was an eyelash behind in second (25.52) with Erin McGarry (St Andrews, QLD) touching third in 26.18.
Reagan Cheng, one of 54 international swimmers competing at this meet, has been the one to catch the eye, winning the Boys 16 years’ 200m breaststroke in 2:19.23 – adding to his 200m IM gold, and 50m breaststroke and 100m backstroke bronze medals.
Outstanding Gold Coast youngster Leny Grigor (Somerset, QLD) coached by Chris Urquhart, made it two from two tonight.
TOUGH DOUBLE: Leny Grigor chasing the field. Photo Courtesy Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia
The 15-year-old claimed two golds in his signature events – the medley and breaststroke, winning a tough double – 400 IM in a comfortable 4:27.77 at the start of the night and 200 breaststroke in 2:17.18 towards the end – the IM well outside his own National record of 4:20.73 with the breaststroke just short of his Australian mark of 2:16.34.
Sunshine Coast backstroke prodigy Jack Morrow (St Andrews, QLD) coached by Olympian Ashley Delaney, has also put himself in the frame for Junior World Championship selection, swimming under the team qualifying time in the Boy’s 17 years 200m backstroke.
Morrow’s 2:00.17 holding off Sydney Kito (Cairns Stingrays, QLD) 2:02.59 and Campbell Wilson-Moran(Caulfield Grammar Aquatic, VIC) 2:02.99.
BACK UP: Jack Morrow (St Andrews, QLD) all class in the 100m backstroke. Photo Courtesy Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia
Morrow had also claimed the 50m backstroke earlier in the meet ahead of Wilson-Moran and fellow St Andrews teammate Cash Milner.
Amelie Smith (Rocky City, QLD; Coached by Shane Kingston) asserted herself as a distance swimmer for the future adding the 1500m freestyle to the 16 years Girls 800m freestyle crown.
In the1500m final, Smith took a comfortable lead early before touching in 8:48.56 ahead of Ava Gaske (Chandler, QLD) securing her first medal – a silver – in front of a home crowd at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre in 8:54.93 with WA’s Delta Cross (Highlanders, WA) won bronze in 9:00.07.
SMILEY FACE: Rocky City’s Amelie Smith all smiles after securing the 800-1500m freestyle double. Photo Courtesy Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia
Tex Cross (Highlanders, WA) smashed out a negative split to add the 800m freestyle to his 400m win (3:50.92).
His time 8:05.10 put him well clear of fellow Western Australian Braden Fyneman (UWA West Coast, WA) 8:15.48 and Oscar Kreutzberger (North Albury, NSW) 8:17.93) in the boys’ 16 years final.
The girls’ 16 years’ 200m backstroke final showcased new podium finishers with all three medal winners claiming their first of the meet. Clara Carrocci (Norwood, SA) 2:15.67, from, Jessie Steinman (Nunawading, VIC) 2:17.75) with Maddison Ashby-Cliffe (Rackley, QLD) third in 2:19.45.
DOUBLE CROSS: WA’s Tex Cross wraps up the 400-1500m freestyle double. Photo Courtesy Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia
