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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Gorman won easily in a time of 16min 22.78sec from Tasmanian Zoe Osterloh (16min 47.12sec) and Luane Rowe (16min 50.88sec).
Hackett was pleased with his first race since undergoing surgery late last year.
“That felt pretty comfortable for my first heat swim of the week,” he said.
“I normally take a race or two to warm into things so that is pretty pleasing.”
Olympic finalist Felicity Galvez upstaged world record holder Jessicah Schipper when she qualified fastest for the 200m butterfly final.
Galvez looked in great form clocking 2min 07.59sec, and her clash with Schipper (2min 07.69sec), backing up from her long-course world record-breaking feat at the Pan Pacs in Canada last week, will be one of the highlights of tonight’s program.
Commonwealth Games finalist Leith Brodie (4min 19.89sec) qualified fastest for the men’s 400m individual medley final ahead of Shane Cross (4min 23.49sec), while 13-year prodigy Ellen Fullerton was quickest in the corresponding women’s event.
Fullerton clocked an impressive 4min 45.95sec to qualify ahead of fellow teenagers Kristen Wilson (4min 45.95sec), Lorna Tonks (4min 48.05sec) and Talia Goddard (4min 50.15sec).
Lenton was the quickest In the women’s 100m freestyle heats, clocking an easy 54.20sec ahead of Danni Miatke (54.51sec) and Sally Foster (54.83sec).
Triple Olympic champion Jodie Henry (55.46sec) was the sixth-fastest qualifier.
Jones meanhile was the only swimmer to go under 31sec in the women’s 50m breaststroke, clocking 30.80sec to qualify ahead of Brooke Hanson (31.03sec) and Tarnee White (31.05sec).
Christian Sprenger (27.78sec) was the fastest qualifier in the men’s 50m breaststroke, while Matt Welsh, aiming for his eighth consecutive national crown in the 50m backstroke, was quickest in that event, clocking 24.42sec.
Veteran Adam Pine moved into the semi-finals of the men’s 100m butterfly as the fastest qualifier, clocking 53.51sec, while Sophie Edington was fastest in the women’s 100m backstroke, recording 59.55sec.
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