Grant Hackett made a successful return to the 1500 metres freestyle at the National Short Course swimming titles in Hobart last night, posting the second-fastest time in history.

Swimming in the event for the first time since a shoulder operation, Hackett swam the second-fastest time ever on the final night of competition.

The world champion posted a time of 14 minutes and 19.47 seconds, eclipsing Kieren Perkins’ time of 14:26.52 set in 1993, and said it was a relief to have swum a 1500-metre event again.

“[It’s] the second fastest I’ve ever swum that event so to get up there and do that, I’m not as unfit as I thought I was at this stage,” he said.

“I didn’t think I’d be swimming those sort of times given my preparation, and to come up here and do that and for 1,000 metres it felt pretty good, which is a lot further than I thought it would.”

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GRANT HACKETT is back in charge of distance freestyle after a stellar outing at the national short course championships in Hobart.

Eight months after he had shoulder surgery which ruled him out of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and weeks after announcing his engagement to Melbourne singer Candice Alley, Hackett made a spectacular return to his signature distance, the 1500m, last night.

In his first race over the distance for a year, he swam faster than any other swimmer in history, putting in the second fastest time of 14:19.47. Only his own world record of 14:10.10 is quicker.

In a 25m pool, he lapped the first of his competitors after just 500m and by 1000m had lapped the field. Some were lapped twice.

It has been more than 10 years since Hackett lost a 1500m race and he said afterwards he had lost none of his touch.

“We were aiming for around 14:30 and doing anything under that was a bonus,” Hackett said. “It was good to get a good one out first up.

“I am not as unfit as I thought I was. It felt no different from before, they all hurt.

“I was wondering where my pain tolerance was at, but it was the same as usual and I had to push through the same mental barriers.

“But it’s nice to be back on top and swimming fast again.

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SWIMMING divas Libby Lenton and Leisel Jones smashed world records to steal the spotlight from superstar Grant Hackett on the final day of the Australian Short Course Championships in Hobart.

On the night of Hackett’s much anticipated return to the 1500m, Lenton and Jones both set new world records, the latter beating her own mark set yesterday.

Jones swam the 100m breaststroke in 1:03.86, knocking 0.26 seconds off last night’s record.

The five-time Olympic medallist, who now holds world short course records in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, was overwhelmed with the accomplishment.

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HOBART: Grant Hackett has set the second-fastest 1500m freestyle short course time in history at the Australian Short Course Championships in a sensational comeback from shoulder surgery.

Hackett finished his pet event in 14:19.47 tonight, beating Kieren Perkins’ 1993 time of 14:26.52.
It was the first time Hackett has contested the gruelling distance since the FINA World Championships in Montreal last July.

The world champion said after the swim he was happy with his effort.

“It’s good to get a good one first off,'’ he said.

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GRANT Hackett withdrew from the men’s 800m freestyle heats after the third day of heats at the Australian Short Course Championships today.

But the endurance master plans to swim his pet 1500m event tomorrow night, marking the first time he has contested the gruelling distance since the FINA World Championships in Montreal last July.

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WHEN Better Homes and Gardens asked Grant Hackett to make some barbeque fitness food, he wasn’t exactly thrilled.

“Me and cooking have never associated much,” he admits.”It’s not something I’ve ever been too fussed about.”

With some reluctance, the swimming champ gave it a go and with the show’s resident chef, Fast Eddie by his side the blokes whipped up a storm.

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GRANT Hackett made it known he wanted to make the 400m freestyle his own after producing a brilliant swim to leave the field in his wake at the Australian short-course swimming championships in Hobart last night.

Stepping up his return from shoulder surgery, Hackett clocked a swift 3min 35.73sec to finish a little more than a second outside his own 2002 world mark for the 400m.Such was Hackett’s dominance, he finished more than 10 seconds clear of second-placed Nic Donald (3min 46.57sec) and Athens Olympian Craig Stevens (3min 47.41sec).

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Leisel Jones missed out on bettering her own world record in the 200m breaststroke but had her sights set on another global mark after winning gold at the Australian Short Course Championships in Hobart.

Jones was 1.58 shy of her 2003 world record when she clocked 2mins 19.33secs - the fifth-fastest time in history for the event - to claim the gold medal.

Grant Hackett also shadowed his own world 400m freestyle record, clocking 3:35.73 - the fastest time in the world this year and the fifth-fastest ever - to defeat 18-year-old Nic Donald (3:46.57) and Craig Stevens (3:47.41).

Finishing behind Jones were Sally Foster and Sarah Katsoulis, whose times of 2:21.95 and 2:22.07 were both personal bests and moved the pair to fourth and fifth respectively on the Australian all-time list.

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Grant Hackett has shown that he is not far from recapturing his best form with a resounding win in the 200m freestyle final at the Australian short-course swimming championships in Hobart. The 1500m world record holder clocked 1:45.72 to finish over a second ahead of New South Welshman Kenrick Monk and Victorian Patrick Murphy (1:47.24). “I felt a little bit funny actually trying to sprint like that and I just wanted to go a 43 (one minute 43) and I went a 44, so it’s slightly disappointing,” Hackett told AAP.

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GRANT Hackett made a promising return to competition today, qualifying fastest for tonight’s 200m freestyle final at the Australian short-course swimming championships in Hobart.

The world 800m and 1500m long-course record holder breezed home in a time of 1 min 45.72sec, with rising star Kenrick Monk (1min 46.85sec) and 2004 Olympian Patrick Murphy (min 47.24sec) next fastest.

Fellow international stars Jessicah Shipper, Leisel Jones and Libby Lenton also hit the water on the opening morning at a packed Tattersalls Aquatic Centre.

And the first title of the championships was decided when Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner Melissa Gorman won the women’s 1500m.

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