Australian team unites to take top spot at BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series Swimming Australia

RENANG INDONESIA. Night two of the $500,000 BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series at Challenge Stadium in Perth has seen Australia’s Olympic stars Christian Sprenger and Cate Campbell put in the highlight performances for the second day in a row.

On a night when the EnergyAustralia Swim Team sealed the overall points tally with a powerful and united team performance, Sprenger and Campbell – who both train under Simon Cusack at Indooroopilly in Brisbane – stood above the pack that included plenty of Olympic and world champions.

Sprenger won the male swimmer of the meet title – and with it $15,000 - for his night one 100m breaststroke swim (942 FINA points), while Campbell (921) also won the big cash and was crowned best female after her 100m freestyle yesterday. The FINA point score, a tool used to compare times across all disciplines, was used to decide the best performances across the individual events.

Sprenger, who proved his strength at the meet by posting the three highest men’s FINA scores (only a swimmer’s best performance counts), beat out James Magnussen (911 for 100m freestyle) and South Africa’s Giulio Zorzi(889/50m breaststroke).

Campbell edged out China’s dual Olympic champion Ye Shiwen (920 in both 200 and 400m individual medley) and teammate Emily Seebohm (919/100m backstroke), who won $10,000 and $5,000 respectively.

In the overall point score, Australia amassed 363 points to beat China’s 272 and South Africa 156.

The whole meet was an outstanding success and Campbell, who won the 50 and 100m freestyle double over the two days of racing, said she loved racing in the sunny open air conditions, with the supportive crowd on hand.

“It seems that I love racing outdoors, I’ve done some of my best racing outdoors,” Campbell enthused.

“Both overseas in America and in Rome were my two best meets speed wise. It must be all the vitamin D.

“This is the most fun I’ve had at a swim meet for a long, long time. It’s about getting out supporting the team.”

Campbell had led the FINA point score - and the race to the $15,000, since early on day one of the meet but said she tried not to think about it.

“To be quite honest that’s just been the last thing on my mind,” she said.

“I’d be more than happy to race for nothing and was just excited to come out here and have a good blow out.”

Sprenger, who truly was the star of the meet, preferred to talk about the Australian team’s success.

“This whole experience, this whole meet has been incredible, coming together as a team has been amazing,” Sprenger said.

“A big thank you to BHP Billiton and the WA Government for putting it on, it’s been a really great experience.” 

The BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series resumes tomorrow morning with the elite and mass participation Open Water swimming events in the iconic Swan River.

In other events…(swimmingau)