March 22, 2008

SYDNEY, Australia - Auburn's Matt Targett and Rachel Goh were in action Saturday at the 2008 Telestra Australian Swimming Championships in Sydney, Australia. The meet is being used as a selection meet for the Australian National Team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Both swimmers are taking the year off from the Auburn swimming and diving team as the Olympic selection meet conflicts with the 2008 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. The women's championships are currently in their final day with the men's NCAA Championships slated for March 27-29.

Targett had the best finish of the day, taking first in the 50m butterfly semi-finals with a time of 23.44 - less than a half second off the World record time of 22.96 and just one hundredth of a second off the Australian record. Targett touched in at 23.69 during the preliminary round.

Goh competed in two events, first taking 11th in the 50m backstroke semi-finals with a time of 29.62, missing the cut for finals. Goh came in with a 29.49 in preliminaries to advance to semis.

Goh then swam the third leg of her club team's 400m freestyle relay team. The squad finished third with a time of 3:51.59.

Action in the meet continues Sunday and goes through next Saturday, March 29.