Hackett aims for new mark

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OLYMPIC 1500m champion Grant Hackett moved within striking distance of Ian Thorpe’s 800m freestyle world record, clocking the fourth fastest time in history at the national trials last night.

Despite a short preparation, Hackett swam 7min 43.16sec, four seconds slower than Thorpe’s world mark, which was set in their epic showdown at the 2001 world titles in Fukuoka.

Hackett set the second fastest time in history that day, 7:40.34, and is confident he can now improve on that.

“It felt really good - I have felt better as the meet has gone on. This puts me in a good position for the world championships to do a personal best time.”

Hackett has been so encouraged by his form this week, after winning the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle, that he is also confident he will be able to attack his extraordinary 1500m world record of 14min 34.56sec this year.

His training partner, Canadian convert Kurtis MacGillivary, finished a strong second in 7:58.97, to qualify for his first Australian team. MacGillivary, 21, received his citizenship on Australia Day, just six weeks ago.

Linda MacKenzie had something to prove after a disappointing Athens Olympics, and she now has the chance to make amends at this year’s world titles after defending her two national titles against all-comers in Sydney.

MacKenzie completed the middle-distance freestyle double, adding the 200m freestyle to her 400m freestyle win.

“I was raring to get back into it (after Athens) because I knew I had something more to give,” the Australian Institute of Sport swimmer said.

Victorian Shayne Reese was the hare to MacKenzie’s hound, going out fast through the first 100m and defending her position grimly in the last lap.

MacKenzie finally caught her in the last push to the wall to win in 1min 58.7sec, a time which would have given her a top-five finish in Athens. Reese, 22, held on for second (1:59.28) and her first chance to swim an individual event at the world titles after swimming the relay at last year’s Olympics.

Another AIS swimmer, Brenton Rickard, has also struck a rich vein of form this week. Rickard set his second national record in as many events to clinch the 50m breaststroke title.

He had dominated the 100m final but faced a tougher test of his powers against former national record-holder Mark Riley in the one-lap dash.

Rickard had to set a new national record (28.02sec) just to quell Riley (28.08sec), who also swam well under Rickard’s former record (28.13sec).

However, Rickard was looking for a another barrier-busting performance, after becoming the first Australian to break 61 seconds in the 100m.

“I was pretty keen to go 27 seconds, but 28.0 is still a personal best time,” Rickard said.

“When you are swimming in good form you try to make the most of it.”

On a night for fast-finishers, 19-year-old Perth Olympian Travis Nederpelt earned his first national title by pegging back Sydney’s Andrew Richards in the 200m butterfly.

Nederpelt (1:57.03) paced his race just right to defeat 21-year-old Richards (1:57.48), who surged into the Australian all-time top five to earn his place on his first major national team.