2024 AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS
- June 10-15, 2024
- Brisbane Aquatic Center – Brisbane, Australia
- LCM (50 meters)
- Swimming Australian Olympic Nomination Criteria
- Meet Central
- Updated Psych Sheet
- Heat Sheets
- Live Results
With the 2024 Australian Olympic Trials on the horizon, we’re looking at the different dynamics about to unfold at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre beginning on June 10th.
To qualify for the Olympic Games, swimmers must be under the qualifying standard set by Swimming Australia and place inside the top two of their event at the Trials (outside of the 100 and 200 free, where up to the top six can be named). The qualifying times put in place by Swimming Australia are faster than the Olympic qualifying times published by World Aquatics.
Rather than previewing the meet by event, we’ve opted to focus more on the storylines for the Australian Trials, with the following articles to come:
- The Locks
- The Veterans
- The Holes
- The Young Guns – Likely to Qualify
- The Young Guns – Flying Under the Radar
- The Battles
Australia has a burgeoning group of youngsters who head into the Trials with plenty of momentum. Some are favored to qualify for the Games, while others, though they are on the outside looking in, have the potential to orchestrate an upset.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the 20 and under athletes are on the outside looking in entering the meet, but a time drop could result in them punching a ticket to Paris.
Olivia Wunsch, 18
Wunsch is favored by many to earn a spot on Australia’s Olympic team after her rise over the last 12 months, which really kicked off when she swept the girls’ 50 free (24.59) and 100 free (53.71) at the World Junior Championships in September.
In late May, the 18-year-old brought her best time in the 100 free down to 53.58, which, despite ranking 21st in the world this year, is still only 6th among Australians.
Given that, Wunsch still has to be at her best to qualify for the Olympic team given how stacked the 100 free is domestically, but her youth and upward trajectory could see her drop and land one of the top spots to secure a relay berth.
The 50 free is a similar story, as Wunsch’s 24-mid best time puts her in the mix, but still on the outside looking in with defending Olympic champion Emma McKeon and two swimmers who have been 24.2 this year, Shayna Jack and Meg Harris, the favorites.
Wunsch could also make her way into the final of the 200 free or 100 fly.
Milla Jansen, 17
Like Wunsch, Jansen was a medalist in the girls’ 100 free at the 2023 World Juniors, earning the silver medal behind her countrymate in a time of 54.08.
The 17-year-old Jansen has set best times in the 50 free (24.86) and 100 free (54.03) in 2024, a positive sign heading into the Trials. The Bond-based swimmer will need to chop off more time to get on the team, but she’s not too far off and is lurking behind the big names.
Jamie Perkins, 19
Perkins won the 400 free at World Juniors last year in a time of 4:05.72, but faces a deep field in that race at the Olympic Trials with Ariarne Titmus and Lani Pallister leading the way.
Perkins’ better opportunity to qualify for the Olympic team comes in the 200 free, where she’ll fight for an 800 free relay berth after setting a best time of 1:57.13 in April. That still only makes her the 11th seed in a stacked event for Australia, but Perkins shouldn’t be counted out.
Ella Ramsay, 19
Ramsay sits as the #3 seed in all four of her events at the Trials, making her a prime candidate to break through and qualify for the Games.
The 19-year-old has been on fire this year, setting personal bests in the 100 breast (1:06.87), 200 IM (2:10.71) and 400 IM (4:36.94) in 2024 after she set a PB of 2:24.28 in the 200 breast in December.
The Chandler Swimming Club product is under the AQT in the 400 IM (4:38.53), less than a tenth off in the 200 IM (2:10.62), and is within striking distance in the 100 breast (1:06.31) and 200 breast (2:23.91).
In terms of who she’ll be battling at the Trials, Ramsay will take on veteran Kiah Melverton for the presumed #2 spot behind Jenna Forrester in the 400 IM, as Melverton and Ramsay both sit at 4:36-highs behind Forrester’s 4:32.3.
If Ramsay is to qualify in the 200 IM, she’ll have to go through #2 seed Forrester, while in the breaststrokes, she’s in the mix with veterans Jenna Strauch and Abbey Harkin holding the top two seeds.
Matilda Smith, 19
A pure breaststroker, Smith swam a lifetime best of 2:24.89 in the 200 breast earlier this year. That makes her the #4 seed and like Ramsay, a candidate to upend the likes of Strauch and Harkin if she can improve. Smith will need to take off at least a second to get under the AQT, however.
She’ll need a similar drop to do any damage in the 100 breast, with her best time standing at 1:07.83.
Sienna Toohey, 15
Toohey is in a similar position to Smith, lurking down the psych sheets in a breaststroke event headlined by veterans.
For Toohey, her best event comes in the 100 breast, where she’s seeded 4th with her best time of 1:07.72, set at the Australian Age Group Championships in April.
Still just 15, it’s too early to expect Toohey to bust out a 1:06-low swim and challenge for the win, but the Albury Amateur Swim Club product is one to keep an eye on.
In the 200 breast, she’s got a shot at the ‘A’ final with a best of 2:29.52.
Bella Grant, 19
Grant’s best shot at making some noise at the Trials comes in the women’s 200 fly, where she holds the #4 seed after setting a best time of 2:08.42 in April.
The 19-year-old has Elizabeth Dekkers, Abbey Connor and Brianna Throssell seeded ahead of her, so there’s work to do, but she fits the bill of this article as someone flying under the radar but not far off contention.
Grant, who is a member of the Trinity Grammar Swim Club, is also in the hunt for an ‘A’ final in the 100 fly (58.46) and 200 back (2:11.24).
Haig Buckingham, 20
The men’s 100 breast is led by defending 200 Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook and Sam Williamson, but Buckingham is lurking as the #4 seed.
Stubblety-Cook, Williamson and Joshua Yong are the only three entered sub-1:00, and then Buckingham is next up at 1:00.33, a time he produced at the 2023 Trials when he was 4th behind that same trio.
One month after setting that PB in June 2023, Buckingham split 59.52 on the Aussie medley relay at the U.S. Pro Championships, perhaps a sign that going sub-1:00 flat start is in his wheelhouse.
The AQT in the 100 breast is 59.49, faster than anyone is entered with at the Trials.
Joshua Collett, 20
Collett is in the same boat as Buckingham, sitting with a 1:00 entry in the men’s 100 breast.
The 20-year-old Bond swimmer was 6th at the 2023 Trials in 1:01.04, and followed up by setting a best time of 1:00.44 at the Swim England Summer Nationals less than two months later.
He’s been 1:01 numerous times this year, and like Buckingham, needs a big drop to have a shot at the team.
Collett and Buckingham are also slated to challenge for a spot in the final of the 200 breast with 2:12 entry times.
Enoch Robb, 19
Robb is an outside threat in the men’s backstroke events, seeded 4th in the 100 and 5th in the 200, and is also in the mix in the 100 fly.
The 19-year-old was 6th in the 100 back at the 2023 World Juniors, setting a best of 54.38 in the semis, and was 5th in the 100 fly (52.88).
Robb set a best of 52.40 in the 100 fly in April, and brought his 200 back best down to 1:58.23 in December.
He’s got work to do both in terms of landing a top-two spot and getting under the AQT in all three events, but is on the rise.
Jesse Coleman, 19
The men’s 100 fly is headlined by 50-point man Matt Temple, and there are several others in the 51-second range vying for that second spot (if they can get under the AQT of 51.17).
Among those is Coleman, a 19-year-old who set a best time of 51.66 at the U.S. Pro Championships last year and followed up by going 51.88 on the World Cup circuit.
Another member of the Bond Swimming Club, Coleman is one of six men seeded 51.67 or faster, so this race figures to be a nailbiter and he should be firmly in the mix.
Where can this be watched live?
Are the top 3 really that “under the radar?”
They’ve been the young ones getting plenty of focus for awhile now. Particularly Olivia & Jamie.
Not as young as the girls mentioned in this article but flying under the radar is Hannah Fredericks (21 yo).
She swam PBs at National Championships finishing 2nd in 200 Back (2:08.92) and 3rd in 100 Back (59.69). She is 3rd seed in the 200 and 5th seed in the 100. If Barclay or Anderson aren’t at their best at Trials Fredericks is a chance to snag a spot on the team.
Hopefully some other young kids can use the atmosphere to produce some good PBs.
Not to make the team necessarily – but a stepping-stone to future successes.
This is why I’m a bit bummed that the B Finals won’t be streamed. Will just have to be satisfied with the live results.
Yes that is disappointing.
I assume they’ll be filling that air time with extreme hoopla around those that qualify for Paris.
That is fair enough, I guess.
I just hope they don’t repeat the idea used for the Trials in 2012, where each qualifier had Mark Howard(?) use a hokie animated thing on a big screen to ‘put them on the plane’ to London.
Flynn Southam????
Already made two national teams so not exactly under the radar.
He’s not that young at 21 but watch out for Shayna’s little brother Jamie Jack, he could surprise in the 50/100 free.
With Forrester looking off all season Ramsay has easily the best chance in this group and will be surprised if she misses the team. Think Wunsch will make it too.