Ready to take on the world

Above: Clockwise from top left - Kaylee McKeown, Ricky Betar, Brenden Hall, Harley Connolly, Lakeisha Patterson, Sam Short.

The world awaits for five swimmers who will carry Moreton Bay’s hopes at this year’s showpiece event in Singapore.

Spearheading Australia’s assault on the World Championships, from July 27-August 3, will be superstars Kaylee McKeown and Sam Short.

Brenden Hall, Lakeisha Patterson and Ricky Betar will pick up the mantle for the World Para-Swimming Championships, September 21-27.

Joining the para team will be Bribie resident Harley Connolly, Head Coach of the Paralympic Hub at USC Spartans, who was at Lawnton and Burpengary.

All five swimmers were named in Dolphins teams following the Australian trials in Adelaide and will go to staging camps in Darwin before jetting to Singapore.

Redcliffe-born McKeown – who was raised and schooled in Caboolture – will defend her 50m, 100m, 200m backstroke titles from the 2023 titles in Japan.

The former Grace and Burpengary junior swimmer now at USC Spartans in Sippy Downs, won all three events at this month’s trials.

McKeown, 23, clocked 27.33 seconds for the 50m and 59.38 seconds in the 100m, then 2 minutes 04.47 seconds to land the 200m as well.

She told Swimming Australia: “It really doesn’t matter what I do here, what form I’m in, I’ve got to get my mind right and see what I can (do) in a few weeks.”

Sam Short – who lives at Bunya and went to school in Everton Hills – aims to defend his 400m freestyle title from Japan and swim the 800m and 1500m freestyle.

The ex-Albany Creek star now with Rackley, swam 3:41.03 to win the 400m in Adelaide, then 7:40.95 to win the 800m and 14:52.43 for victory in the 1500m.

Before the trials Short said he was “doing a lot of mileage in the pool” and altitude training. “Hopefully that pays dividends this week and in Singapore,” he said.

Brenden Hall – born at Redcliffe and schooled in Pine Rivers – has been selected for the 400m freestyle S9 at his seventh World Para-Championships.

Now with USC Spartans, the former Redcliffe, Lawnton and Burpengary swimmer, won his trial in 4:18.41 and said a “pure love of swimming” motivates him.

“Picking a time to finish with it is really hard but I think it’s safe to say this might be my last world championships,” the 32-year-old told Channel 9.

Caboolture's Lakeisha Patterson – who learned to swim on Bribie – missed the trials but is in the 400m freestyle S9 and 200m IM S9 … pending a fitness test.

“Incredibly grateful for the selection committee and my team for believing in me and my abilities based off my achieved qualifying times this year,” the 21-year-old ex-Southern Cross, Lawnton, Burpengary swimmer, now at USC Spartans, said on Facebook.

Morayfield’s Ricky Betar, also at USC Spartans with Harley Connolly, is preparing for two events in Singapore.

The lifeguard at Burpengary Aquatic Centre is in the 200m IM SM14, 100m butterfly S14 …. and possibly 100m backstroke SM14.