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Magnussen sets year’s fastest 100m free time

World champion James Magnussen warned his rivals to “brace yourselves” after clocking the year’s fastest time when he won the 100 metres freestyle final at the Australian Olympic trials on Monday.

Magnussen, dubbed “The Missile”, won in 47.10 seconds to book a spot in the sprint event at this year’s London Olympics, while James Roberts finished second with a time of 47.63.

Magnussen burst on to the scene when he stormed from fifth at the turn to win the 100m sprint crown in 47.63 at last year’s Shanghai world championships.

He became the first Australian man to win the title since the world championships were established in 1973 and broke the nation’s 43-year drought over the distance following Mike Wenden’s win at the 1968 Olympics.

Magnussen led from the start in Monday’s final and was under the world record 50m split at 22.68 but missed Brazilian Cesar Cielo’s world mark of 46.91 by just 0.19 seconds with four months to go until the Olympics.

He said he had really gone after the world record in Monday’s race, and was intent on breaking it in future.

“I feel pretty confident after that swim, but I’m certainly not going to rest on my laurels and I’ll be doing everything in my power to break that world record because I want to be considered the fastest man in history,” he said.

He said staying healthy was the key to victory. “That’s going to give me the best opportunity to break the world record,” he said.

Asked moments after his win what message he wanted to send to his Olympic rivals, Magnussen declared: “Brace yourselves.”

In an encouraging sign for Australia’s world champion sprint relay team, all the eight finalists finished under 49 seconds.

Third-placed Matt Targett finished in 48.32 and former world record holder Eamon Sullivan was fourth in 48.53.

Six-time Olympic medallist Libby Trickett was fifth fastest into Tuesday’s women’s 100m freestyle final behind Cate Campbell.

Trickett led early in her semi-final but finished third and was fifth fastest overall in 54.19 behind Campbell (53.84).

Trickett, 27, is on the comeback trail after 18 months out of swimming and missed out on a chance of defending her Olympic title with a third placing in the 100m butterfly at the trials on Friday.