Schipper wins 100m butterfly gold

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Queenslander Jessicah Schipper triumphed in the battle of Australian swimming’s wonder women at the national shortcourse titles in Melbourne, edging out two other world champions for a Commonwealth record.

Schipper beat Libby Lenton and Danni Miatke to win the women’s 100 metres butterfly gold medal - her 56.56 seconds erasing Petria Thomas’ old Commonwealth shortcourse mark and just .22sec outside the world record.

The 18-year-old from Redcliffe wore down Lenton, who went out hard and was on world record pace for the first 50m of the race.

But while Lenton has broken two world records at this meet - both in the 100m freestyle - Schipper posted her second near-miss after coming within a whisker in her women’s 200m butterfly victory on the opening night.

“I haven’t had very much luck with the world records on this trip - close but not close enough,” Schipper said.

“It gives me something to work for. Going to the world shortcourse (in Shanghai next April), hopefully I’ll get it there.”

Not content with a punishing three-week schedule including the world championships and Duel in the Pool meet, Lenton backed up 10 minutes after the 100m butterfly to win the 50m freestyle.

“I knew as soon as I touched the wall (in the 100m butterfly) that I was in a whole new world of pain and that I was really going to have to put my head down for the 50m and try to win it,” Lenton said.

Both Lenton and Schipper - like most of Australia’s swimmers - are off for well-earned breaks after a gruelling and successful three weeks.

Another of Australia’s world champions, Leisel Jones, also broke through the pain barrier for her second individual gold medal at this meet.

Jones beat arch-rival Brooke Hanson in the 200m breaststroke final by more than two seconds to add to her 100 metre title from Wednesday..

Victorian Matt Welsh took out his fourth gold medal of the meet - the men’s 200 metre backstroke final - to become Australia’s most successful national shortcourse champion.

Welsh’s victory gave him his 24th Australian shortcourse gold medal and he swept the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke titles for the seventh consecutive year.

Other winners were Tayliah Zimmer in the women’s 50 metre backstroke, Brenton Rickard in the men’s 50m breaststroke, Leith Brodie in the men’s 100m individual medley and Kurtis Macgillivary in the men’s 1500m.

World champion Grant Hackett withdrew from the 1500m, believing it would be too strenuous after already winning the 200m and 400m freestyle here following his world championship and Duel In The Pool heroics.