After all the emotion of Friday’s 100-metre freestyle, Cate Campbell was back in action in Saturday’s 50m free.
It was Campbell’s final chance.
How difficult must it be to pick yourself up after enduring the sort of disappointment that one must fear in the deepest recesses of your soul, having been ill coming into what could be the final event of her career.
A soul-testing 24 hours later, Campbell was back.
Facing another test. A final test.
A test she passed.
To get into the final would have required a sub-25-second swim, and Campbell was one of seven swimmers who managed that, edging out Mollie O’Callaghan with a time of 24.85.
Campbell looked slightly slow off the blocks, but powered down the first 40m of the Brisbane Aquatic Centre pool, before fading slightly in the final 10m.
Still, it was enough to get her into the evening’s final as the sixth-fastest qualifier.
Shayna Jack clocked the fastest time of the heats, swimming a speedy 24.02 after the emotion of qualifying for her first Olympics in Friday night’s 100m.
“I didn’t get very much sleep last night,” Jack said.
“I just really wanted to wind down and continue my focus.
“I’ll definitely spend time after tonight acknowledging what I’ve been through and what I’ve done this week and let myself feel that excitement.”
Jack qualified ahead of Meg Harris (24.47), Bronte Campbell (24.56), reigning Olympic champion Emma McKeon (24.72) and Olivia Wunsch (24.73).
Alexandria Perkins was the final qualifier in 25.02.
ABC Sport will be live blogging every day of the Paris Olympics from July 27 (Australian time).
Cody Simpson makes 100 fly final
Earlier in the week, coach Michael Bohl said it was always going to be a big ask for pop-star Cody Simpson to make the squad for the Paris Games.
“The reality is you gotta go off rankings,” Bohl said.
“He’s about fourth or fifth or sixth in the 100 fly … for him to make this team it’s going to be a huge sum.
“It’s possible, but it’s expected that it’s gonna be a challenge for him to do it.
“I’m not saying he’s gonna make it. I’m not saying he’s not gonna make it. He’s got as good a chance as anyone else.”
Simpson’s chances were enhanced slightly by the withdrawal of Kyle Chalmers from the heats, and he took that chance, swimming an impressive 51.78 to win his heat by a body-length and qualify fifth-fastest for the final.
Chalmers, who revealed he was suffering a back injury after qualifying in the 100m freestyle, could not risk further injury having already made the team.
Australian record holder Matthew Temple led home the qualifiers with a 51.46, just outside the standard of 51.17, with Ben Armbruster second.
Bohl said that, whether or not Simpson made the final cut to travel to Paris was irrelevant and that he had already achieved what he set out to do.
“It’s rather nice and, you know, we’re hoping that he can get up and just get the best out of himself.
“But I think, what he did in making that Commonwealth Games team is what he set out to achieve. He wanted to make an Australian team.
“Not that he doesn’t make this one. He desperately wants to make this.
“But, you know, making that Australian team was a win for him.
“Being out of the sport for a long number of years and coming back and getting in is just testament to his willpower.
“It’s just been great. We’re all very, very proud of him and the group.”
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