Libby Trickett Gets Her Chance to Make Aussie 4 x 100 Free Relay Team

Things Australia do well: Cricket, Aussie Rules, Rugby League, Surfing, their version of Masterchef, coming up with a way to give Libby Trickett a chance to compete in Shanghai.

On June 29, two days before the Australian Short Course Championships begin, Libby Trickett will get the chance to qualify for the Australian 4 x 100 Free relay team. In a masterstroke from performance director Leigh Nugent he decided to leave the 6th spot on each relay team open, to be decided by time trial. Although the ruling was designed largely for Trickett, it should also help Australia by getting the in-form swimmers onto their relay teams.

The task will not be an easy one for Trickett as she faces competition from Cate and Bronte Campbell, Alice Mills, Melanie Schlanger and Marieke Guehrer.

To gain selection for the relay Trickett will need to a) win the race and b) finish faster than the 5th place finisher at nationals, a time of 54.99.

The times for the other relay spots are as follows: Men's 100 Free - 48.95, Men's 200 Free - 1:48.50, Women's 200 Free - 1:57.59

Libby Trickett comes out of retirement

September 1st 2010 is a day that fans of Australian swimming can breathe a sigh of relief.

This just in from Libby Trickett's Twitter account:-

So I guess it's official? I'm officially starting back swimming. I must admit I'm excited about smelling like chlorine 24/7 again!!

The reigning Olympic champion on the 100m Butterfly and World Bronze medallist on the 100m Freestyle in Rome last year is getting back into the water after a year off. Trickett took an extended break from the sport in September last year before officially retiring on 14 December 2009.

This comes as welcome news to the Aussie women's team. Despite some outstanding individual swims at Pan Pacs, the Aussie women were swept by Team USA on all three relay events. Trickett, a proven relay swimmer, will provide added strength to an already strong team.

Assuming the comeback goes smoothly (a year out of the water shouldn't be too hard to come back from), Australia are right back in the hunt for the 4 x 100m Medley relay at Worlds (took Silver in 2009 without Leisel Jones) and Olympics (reigning champions). USA and China will be the main competition.

Aussie potential team:-

Emily Seebohm - Backstroke
Leisel Jones - Breaststroke
Jessicah Schipper/Libby Trickett/Steph Rice - Butterfly
Libby Trickett/Yolane Kukla - Freestyle

USA potential team:-

Natalie Coughlin/Elisabeth Pelton/Missy Franklin - Backstroke
Rebecca Soni/Jess Hardy - Breaststroke
Christine Magnuson/Dana Vollmer - Butterfly
Natalie Coughlin/Dana Vollmer/Jess Hardy/Amada Weir - Freestyle

China potential team:-

Zhao Jing/Gao Chang - Backstroke
Chen Huijia/Ye Sun - Breaststroke
Liu Zige/Jiao Liuyang - Butterfly
Pang Jiaying/Tang Yi - Freestyle

USA and Australia are evenly matched and with Trickett's potential to be the fastest freestyler or fly swimmer from all the names listed above and China's wildcard nature we should have a real race on our hands. Game on.

(I wonder if Trickett's decision will spur Thorpedo to get back involved in time for London 2012?)