Magnussen fastest in 50m freestyle Aussie heats

James Magnussen was the fastest qualifier in the heats of the 50-metres freestyle at the Australian Olympic trials on Tuesday but he only had thoughts for the 100m freestyle world record.

The world champion was 0.19 seconds outside Brazilian Cesar Cielo's world record in posting the year's fastest time of 47.10secs and winning the 100m final on Monday to book his place for the London Olympics.

Magnussen, 20, is convinced he will shatter Cielo's 46.91secs world mark at July's Olympics and is working on ways to shave more time off his fastest 100m freestyle time so far.

"Now that I sit back and look at last night's swim, it's a bit of a pain in the bum that I got down that close and didn't get it (world record), but I'm pretty confident I will get it at the Olympics," he said.

"That's easily the quickest I've ever been but I'm just really happy with my skills at the moment, my dive and underwater, it's improved a lot since the world championships last year that helped me get out in front and swim speeds.

"Looking at last night's time I was 0.2 slower on the turn slower than I was at the Shanghai world championships in the relay, that's all I need right there."

Magnussen was still quickest in the 50m helter-skelter on Tuesday despite his "hangover" from the previous night's world record bid.

"There is a fair lactic acid hangover (from Monday night)," he said. "I swam about 1500m this morning just to try and clear it out. I'll go and get a massage now and hopefully I'll be freshen up for tonight's semis."

Magnussen was fastest into Tuesday night's semis in 22.19sec ahead of titleholder Matt Abood (22.44) and Matt Targett (22.47).

Former world champion Michael Klim was 10th fastest in the heats of the 100m butterfly, but enough to get him into the semis.

Klim, 34, on the comeback trail after four years out of the pool, showed early speed before flagging to finish in 53.45, one second behind Chris Wright (52.45) and 200m champion Nick D'Arcy (52.56).

Loading...
  • 50 things that successful people do 13 hours ago

    Do you want to be successful? Of course you do. Who doesn’t, right? Obviously, the path to success isn’t easy. If it were, you’d see far more successful people around. Through my work, I’ve had the … More »

  • Is being apple- or pear-shaped healthier? 17 hours ago

    Good health is determined not only by a healthy weight but also by a healthy waist size and body shape. Increasingly, doctors are using waist size and body shape, along with body weight, to predict … More »

  • What Does 1-Billion-Year-Old Water Taste Like? Wed, Jun 19, 2013

    It's summer, and as much as I love the sunshine, I am doing my best to stay hydrated. Besides central air conditioning, a cool glass of water is my seasonal BFF. A newly discovered water source is … More »

  • Haze in Singapore reaches all-time record high at 321 PSI

    Haze in Singapore reaches all-time record high at 321 PSI

    Haze in Singapore reaches all-time record high at 321 PSI

    The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit an all-time high of 321 at 10pm on Wednesday, crossing into the "hazardous" range, according to data from the National Environment Agency (NEA).

  • PM Lee, ministers up pressure on Indonesia to tackle haze

    PM Lee, ministers up pressure on Indonesia to tackle haze

    PM Lee, ministers up pressure on Indonesia to tackle haze

    Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and several Cabinet members have increased the pressure on Indonesia to take control of the haze situation.

  • COMMENT: A thin fine line

    COMMENT: A thin fine line

    COMMENT: A thin fine line

    COMMENT The concept of sub judice contempt for ongoing court cases is an important one; it is in place to ensure that proceedings can be as objective as possible, rather than swayed by the court of public opinion. Yet in … Continue reading →

Featured Blogs

  • Daniel Wong

    Do you want to be successful? Of course you do. Who doesn’t, right? Obviously, the path to success isn’t easy. If it were, you’d see far more successful people around. Through my work, I’ve had the privilege of interacting with … Continue reading → …

  • Health Xchange

    Good health is determined not only by a healthy weight but also by a healthy waist size and body shape. Increasingly, doctors are using waist size and body shape, along with body weight, to predict your risk for chronic health … Continue reading → …

  • It's summer, and as much as I love the sunshine, I am doing my best to stay hydrated. Besides central air conditioning, a cool glass of water is my seasonal BFF. A newly discovered water source is making me appreciate those glasses of water in a whole new way. A mile and a half below [...] …

  • COMMENT: A thin fine line
    COMMENT: A thin fine line

    COMMENT The concept of sub judice contempt for ongoing court cases is an important one; it is in place to ensure that proceedings can be as objective as possible, rather than swayed by the court of public opinion. Yet in … Continue reading → …

  • Sony was E3’s big winner in large part because of the company's decision to price the PlayStation 4 at $399, a full $100 cheaper than Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox One. But the man in charge of Xbox maintains Microsoft is offering … Continue reading → …