AUSTRALIAN TRIALS, Finals, Day One: Ariarne Titmus And Kaylee McKeown Rocket To the Top Of The World And Book Their Tickets To Paris

Paris-bound Australian golden girls Ariarne Titmus and Kaylee McKeown have tonight sent messages to the world “Bring it On” after rocketing to the top of the world rankings on a sizzling opening session of the Australian Trials in Brisbane.

Olympic champion and world record holder, Titmus missed her own 400m freestyle world record by just 0.06 – stopping the clock at 3:55.44 at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.

The 23-year-old, who has been unbeaten in five years, was under world record pace for 399 metres in an epic performance as she sets herself for what will be one of the most anticipated events of the Paris Games against former world record holders Summer McIntosh (CAN) and Katie Ledecky (USA).

And joining Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD; Coach: Dean Boxall) in the 400m will be 22-year-old Gold Coaster Lani Pallister (Griffith University, QLD; Coach Michael Bohl) who has realised her Olympic dream, finishing second in a time of 4:02.27 – joining her mother Janelle Pallister, who as Janelle Elford finished fifth in the 400m freestyle at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

There were emotional scenes on pool deck when Lani and mother Janelle along with her godmother, Olympic legend Dawn Fraser, welcomed their new Olympian to sport’s exclusive club.

“Three years ago I was ready to quit, walk away from swimming and I didn’t think I would be here standing on the blocks, I’m so happy,” said a tearful Pallister, who has battled health and sickness to make her dream debut in Paris.

While backstroking queen McKeown set a new Commonwealth and Australian All-Comers record of 2:06.63 – the third fastest time in history – and only 0.51 outside the 2015 world record held by Katinka Hosszu (HUN) at 2:06.12.

And flying into second and under the QT, Chandler Swim Club’s Ella Ramsay who clocked a personal best time of 2:09.32 – and like Lani Pallister, Ella joins her Olympian father Heath Ramsay (Sydney 2000, 200fly) as an Olympian.