Aussie stars testing the waters at Australian Open

Source : ABC NEWS

For Australia’s best and brightest swimmers, the Australian Open competition on the Gold Coast this week is a time to experiment. 

Australian swimmers don’t come much brighter or better than Molly O’Callaghan, who flew down the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre to claim a comfortable victory in the women’s 100m free on Monday night.

The 22-year-old, five-time Olympic champion was the only woman to swim sub-53 seconds, cruising to a 52.66 ahead of Meg Harris (53.36) and 19-year-old rising star Olivia Wunsch (53.58).

But for O’Callaghan, the time was not important, more a stepping stone for a busy 2026, where the Dolphins will compete in Irvine, California at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships from August 12-15 just a fortnight after the Glasgow Commonwealth Games from July 24-29.

“Coming off China [the China Open last month], it’s a bit of a learning curve,” O’Callghan told Channel Nine.

“A quick change round, but that’s practice for Commies [Commonwealth Games] into Pan Pacs. 

“So at the moment I’m just trying to learn how to perfect it in-season.”

Shayna Jack was fourth (53.92) and Alex Perkins fifth (53.97) to underline the strength in depth of Australian women’s sprint freestyle swimming.

Australia won the 4x100m freestyle relay at the Paris Olympics by over a second and are the current world record holders.

“I think we all push each other at the end of the day,” O’Callaghan said. 

“When I improve, someone else watches that and it pushes them, so I think we learn off each other constantly and are pushing the boundaries. 

“Once one person improves, it’s a knock-on effect.”

In the men’s 100m free, Kyle Chalmers powered down the final 50 metres to win in 48.39 in a race where the entire 10-man field swam under 50 seconds.

“I’m happy with that,” Chalmers said, who beat 20-year-old Flynn Southam (48.80) and Kai Taylor (48.94) into the other podium places.

“We’ve got some great depth coming through. I’ve had some individual success … it would be amazing to have some relay success with these guys.”

Lani Pallister was in sublime form in the 800m freestyle, crushing an international field to win in (8:11.28) which included New Zealand’s first ever swimming world champion in the 400m and former world bronze medallist from 2024, Erika Fairweather.

Despite having almost no genuine competition — she won the race by over 12 seconds from Brazils Maria Costa (8:23.98) and Fairweather (8:26.55) — the 23-year-old still clearly put plenty into the race, throwing up poolside before her Channel Nine interview.

“That’s horrendous,” the affable Queenslander told Nine. 

“I feel like I’ve made a habit of throwing up post-race, which I’m sure Dean [Boxall] will be happy with because it showed I tried really hard. 

“I’m pretty happy with that,” she added. 

“I was 8:19 in China two weeks ago at the China Open in Shenzhen, and then dropping eight seconds coming here is really a good stepping stone going into Pan Pacs, Commies and Trials and that sort of thing this year.”

Pallister has moved to Brisbane to train under Boxall at St Peters Western this year and credits her new environment with her superb form.

“When I moved to Brisbane, I didn’t really know what to expect, living in the city and being in a new squad,” she said.

“But everyone at St Pete’s is just so incredible, and moving to Dean, being with Mick as well, has just been the most incredible year. 

“I think it’s really cool moving forward going into this Olympic cycle. And they’re helping me achieve all the dreams I ever wanted and more.”

Someone else hoping to go close to a personal best in the longer distances is Sam Short, who powered his way to gold in the 400m freestyle to warm up for the longer distances later in the meet.

The 22-year-old admitted that he thought he was doing something “crazy” when he saw how big his lead was during the race.

It wasn’t crazy. But it was a marker to the rest of the Commonwealth as Short laid down a dominant 3:42.53 to claim a comfortable victory.

“I honestly thought, with the gap I had, I thought I was just doing something crazy,” Short told Channel Nine.

“But yeah, no, it’s 3:42, got to be happy with that. I got off a plane a week ago from the States, so probably only just beat the jet lag. 

“I think I’m in a good spot to be honest, I’m pretty keen for the 800 and 1,500.”

Short led from start to finish, establishing a lead of almost a second after 100 metres and only building from there.

Dolphins teammate Elijah Winnington came home in the silver medal spot, almost four seconds behind Short.

He just edged out New Zealand’s two-time Commonwealth Games champion Lewis Clareburt by half-a-second.

Short, who won silver in the event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games behind Winnington and has two medals — a gold and a silver — at world championship level in this event so was certainly expecting to do well.

The Brisbane swimmer has been training at altitude in the USA and, by focusing on longer-distance swimming and even dipping his toes into ocean swimming, is expecting to do just as well later in the week too.

“I feel so fit,” Short said, seemingly surprised by his form.

“I mean, this morning [in the heats] was the easiest 3:48 I’ve ever done.

“I just couldn’t really sit still today, I was so excited to get in here and give it a crack. 

“I feel so fit now, just trying to do some pace work and get fast.”

While Short was thrilled with his form, Kaylee McKeown expressed some disappointment as she breezed home to win the 200m backstroke in 2:05.66.

“Honestly, I would have liked a little bit faster,” McKeown said.

“I feel like I’ve put in a good block of training so I’m a little bit disappointed with the outcome, but I think the process is there.”

Elsewhere, in the 200m breaststroke, Bailey Lello held on to beat out a fast-finishing Tokyo Olympic champion and silver medallist in Paris, Zac Stubblety-Cook.

Lello, another swimmer from the St Peters Western stable coached by Boxall, credited the super coach with trialling “a few things” heading into the event that sparked his gold medal swim.

In the women’s 50m butterfly, world championships silver medallist Alex Perkins held off a trio of international visitors to finish in 25.62, just three-tenths of a second outside the Australian record she jointly holds with Holly Barrett.

“The 50’s hard to get right, just one little thing and your time is a bit slower,” she told Channel Nine.

Russia-born, Gold Coast-based Mark Nikolaev claimed victory in the 50m backstroke with a time of 25.20, edging out Ben Hance and Isaac Cooper.

In the women’s 100m breaststroke, 17-year-old Sienna Toohey beat out Ella Ramsay and Tara Kinder into second and third respectively.

Kinder and Ramsay were then beaten by Jenna Forrester — who finished third in the 200m backstroke earlier in the evening — in the 400m individual medley.

Harrison Turner beat out club-mate Alex Quach by a second-and-a-half in the men’s 200m butterfly.