Trickett chases 50m freestyle spot at Games

Three-time Olympic champion Libby Trickett boosted her hopes of an individual spot at the London Olympics with the second-fastest time in the 50-metres freestyle semi-finals at the Australian trials on Wednesday. Free of pressure after sealing Olympic selection as a relay swimmer in Tuesday's 100m freestyle final, Trickett clocked 25.12 seconds to qualify for Wednesday night's semis behind 16-year-old Alexandra Purcell (25.05). Trickett, 27, who spent 18 months out of the sport after the 2009 Rome world championships, is relishing the chance to compete in the London event in her own right. "It's just nice to go out there and kind of freewheel a little bit," Trickett said. "I hope to go really fast in the 50 because my starts are feeling sensational, they're the fastest they've ever been. "Hopefully, I can make the final tomorrow and see what I can do." James Magnussen will be bidding for his second title in the men's 50m freestyle final later Wednesday. Magnussen shaded Eamon Sullivan by one-hundredth of a second to be the fastest qualifier into the final. World champion Magnussen, 20, who missed the 100m freestyle world record by 0.19secs in winning Monday's final, clocked a personal best 21.87secs in Tuesday's semis to Sullivan's 21.88. In two swims in the 50m at the trials Magnussen has carved a massive 0.54secs off his best one-lap time. Matthew Levings posted the fastest time of 15:17.75 in Wednesday's preliminaries for the 1500m freestyle ahead of Jarrod Poort (15:24.95) and Robert Hurley (15:32.08). The final is set for Thursday's last day of the trials.