Mack Horton will not defend his Olympic 400 metres freestyle title in Tokyo after failing to make the Australian team for the event.
Horton finished third in the final at Australia’s selection trials in Adelaide on Saturday night.
Only the top two — Elijah Winnington and Jack McLoughlin — earnt selection for next month’s Tokyo Olympics.
The opening night of the trials featured Australian records to Emma McKeon (100m butterfly) and Brendon Smith (400m individual medley).
But Horton was unable to secure selection at the South Australian Aquatic Centre despite coming almost two-and-a-half-seconds inside the qualifying time at three minutes and 43.92 seconds.
Winnington won in 3:42.65 seconds ahead of McLoughlin at 3:43.27.
Fourth- and fifth-placed Thomas Neill and Sam Short also finished under the qualifying time in a white-hot 400m final.
Horton is still a chance to earn selection in the 200m freestyle, to be contested on Sunday.
AAP
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