Emily Seebohm upset in backstroke final

Beware the danger within as Emily Seebohm was rolled in the 50 metre backstroke final at the Australian short-course titles by training partner Minna Atherton.

Minna Atherton

Minna Atherton (right) hugs training partner Emily Seebohm as the two go head-to-head at nationals. (AAP)

Queensland's former world junior champion Minna Atherton put reputations and records aside when she upset her training partner and defending champion Emily Seebohm in the 50 metre backstroke final at the national short-course championships.

The spanking didn't stop there in Adelaide on Saturday. Atherton also stole Seebohm's Australian All-Comers record and prevented her grabbing a career 26th gold medal.

It came the morning after the night before when 25-year-old Seebohm had wrapped up her 25th lifetime national short course title in the 100m backstroke.

Seventeen-year-old Atherton, who pushed Seebohm all the way in that 100m event, clocked 26.23sec and taking 0.05s off Seebohm's record time from last year.

Atherton, a world junior champion in Singapore in 2015, trains alongside Seebohm under David Lush at Brisbane Grammar.

In another boilover 20-year-old Queenslander Josh Parrish stunned Olympic gold medallist Mack Horton in the men's 1500m freestyle.

Parrish beat American Jordan Wilimovsky with Jack McLaughlin third and Horton fourth.

"It was good to get in and mix it with the big boys and come away with that win," Parrish said.

"I know I have to get under 15 minutes for long course and my best is 15:13 at the moment but that's the aim.

"It would be everything to make the Commonwealth Games team - you put your heart and soul into it so that would be sensational."

Dolphins late bloomer Holly Barratt, 29, finished second in 26.43 with Seebohm, who also has the 200m individual medley final later on Saturday, a close third in 26.48.

In other medals earlier on Saturday, dual Olympian and three-time Australian short-course champion Jess Ashwood (Chandler) was a comfortable winner in the women's 1500m freestyle in 15min:52.29 with TSS Aquatics club mates Madeleine Gough second in 16:02.34 and Kiah Melverton third in 16:18.92.

Rio Olympian Georgia Bohl, who was forced out of the 200m breaststroke final through illness on Friday, returned to the pool this morning to take the gold medal in 30.57s in the 50m breaststroke from 2012 Olympic champion Rute Meilutyte (Lithuania) 30.81 and 100m winner Jessica Hansen (Nunawading) 30.86.

There was joy in the Cairns camp with the Herbie Howard-coached Grant Patterson setting a new world record for SB2 disability category swimmers in the 100m breaststroke.

The 28-year-old Patterson clocked 2:17.49 to take 1.12 off his own previous world mark of 2:18.61, set in Perth in 2015.

"Scooter" as Grant is known around pool deck because he uses that form of transport to get around, later won gold in the 150 metre individual medley in 3:08.77.

And in the men's 100m individual medley Japan's visiting Olympian Daiya Seto (52.81) added to his medal collection ahead of Australian champion Kazimir Boskovic (Nunawading) and James Traiforos (Trinity Grammar).


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Source: AAP



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