2025 Australian Swimming Trials – Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2025 AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING TRIALS

• Monday, June 9th – Saturday, June 14th
• SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre, Oaklands Park, South Australia
• Prelims at 11am local (9:30pm ET night before)/Finals at 7:30pm local (6:00am ET) nights 1&2; 7pm local (5:30am ET) nights 3-6
• LCM (50m)
• Swimming Australia World Championships Selection Criteria
• Meet Central
• Start List
• Heat Sheets
• Results
• Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1 |Day 2 

There have been some upsets and surprises throughout the first two day of competition and one would not want it any other way as Australia begins to rev its engine with it sights set on the 2028 LA Olympics. However, before we get there the Aussie Dolphins need to finish naming their squad to the 2025 Singapore World Championships.

Already booked a spot in two off events, Mollie O’Callaghan enters today’s prelims as the by and far favorite as the Women’s 200 free is up first on the docket. A reigning Olympic Gold medalist in both the 200 free and 4×200 free relay MOC will look to younger field to help her claim the relay gold again. She is seeded three seconds ahead of Lani Pallister and four in front of Jamie Perkins, but keep an eye on teenagers Milla Jansen and Inez Miller, who each will be eager to start their Olympic quad off with a bang.

O’Callaghan is not the only Olympic gold medalist to take to the water as the 50 free champ Cam McEvoy will be making his debut in Adelaide. The Australian record holder is seeded well under the Qualifying standard of 21.94 but so too is Jamie Jack, so the expect the competition behind them to be fierce as several swimmers will be looking to join them under that standard, mainly Kyle Chalmers. Chalmers is the 5th seed at 21.98 and is .04 off the cut time, but he may have too many swimmers ahead of him, so expect fast prelims as he, too, makes his first appearance in the competition pool.

Those aren’t the only two exciting events, however. The 50 breaststroke sees Sienna Toohey, who qualified for Singapore in the 100 last night, as the top seed this morning. The 16 year old will be looking to add a second individual event to her line-up, but seeded .4 back of the stiff time standard of 30.33, it will not be easy. The men’s event is in a similar boat as top seeds Grayson Bell and Josh Yong will need to cut half a second each to reach the time of 27.06.

The men’s 200 fly is in a more precarious position as Harrison Turner, the top seed is over a second back of the qualifying time. The Australians did not qualify a swimmer last year, and with the 100 fly winners more sprint orientated, the 200 fly may seem some unfamiliar names make a run at the A-Final.

The session concludes with the slower two of three heats in the men’s 800. As a timed final, any swimmer could win from any heat, so expect swimmers to leave nothing behind as the try to put up a time that will stand against the experience and speed of Samuel Short and Elijah Winnington.

Women’s 200 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus, AUS (2024)
• Australian Record: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus, (2024)
• AllComers Record: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus, AUS (2024)
• 2024 Trials Winner: Ariarne Titmus – 1:52.23
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 1:58.23

Top 8

1. Lani Pallister (STPET) – 1:56.08
2. Mollie O’Callaghan (STPET) – 1:56.67
3. Jamie Perkins (STPET) – 1:56.80
4. Hannah Casey (BOND) – 1:57.05
5. Abbey Webb (CRUIS) – 1:57.13
6. Inez Miller (FNX) – 1:57.52
7. Amelia Weber (STPET) – 1:57.89
8. Brittany Castelluzzo (TTG) – 1:58.16

Mollie O’Callaghan did exactly what she needed to to win the first of three circle-seeded heats. The reigning Olympic champion and champion at the 2023 Fukuoka Worlds was not in the lead at the 50 as the younger Milla Jansen blasted out to flip first at the 50 at 27.44, .10 ahead of MOC.

O’Callaghan, who is known for her closing speed, was still trailing at the 100 mark as now Amelia Weber jumped up to 2nd place and was .01 back at the halfway point with Jansen leading at 57.23. O’Callaghan kept up her earlier pace and closed in 59.27 to go over the top of all the competitors and touched first in 1:56.67. Abbey Webb, the 4th seed, had a timing issue, but she slid into 2nd place ahead of Weber and Jansen with a time of 1:57.13.

The second heat was a faster affair as Lani Pallister, who gets better as the distances increase, was out in 56.17, more than a second ahead of Jansen. Pallister couldn’t match O’Callaghan’s back half as she was .64 back, coming home in 59.91; however, she had built enough of a lead to overtake MOC as the fastest time this morning, going 1:56.08, half a second off entry time.

Hannah Casey, two lanes over, took advantage of the absences of several of the Aussie stars and was shadowing Pallister throughout the race. She was out in 56.46 and did well to hold things together to come home in 1:00.59 to touch in 1:57.05, a 1.95-second drop from her seed.

Jaimie Perkins, the 3rd seed, too was out faster the MOC, opening in 57.17. The 20-year-old, who trains at St Peter’s Western with O’Callaghan and Pallister, joined the pair closing in a sub-60 last 100 as her 59.63 allowed her to touch in 1:56.80 to post the 3rd fastest time. Inez Miller, two years younger, was sub-60 on the last 100 as her 59.68 brought her home to touch in 1:57.72. On the other end of the age spectrum, veteran Leah Neale, despite dropping .82 from her seed, wound up finishing 9th overall in a time of 1:58.63

Men’s MC 150 IM – Prelims

An event that starts with the backstroke pitted the Paralympic silver medalist Ahmed Kelly off against Grant Scooter Patterson, the bronze medalist. Patterson had the lead after the backstroke, opening in 58.25. However, his lead of over three seconds evaporated quickly as Kelly’s breaststroke split was nearly six seconds faster, and he turned to the finishing wall with a lead of 2.36. Still sporting a beard, Patterson slowly reeled in his friend and rival and eeked out the win with a time of 3:05.91, getting the win by just .22. Their times each were under the qualifying standard in the S3 category, so could be named to Para team later in the week.

Women’s 50 Breaststroke- Prelims

• World Record: 29.16 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2023)
• Australian Record: 30.05 – Chelsea Hodges, (2022)
• AllComers Record: 30.15 – Chelsea Hodges, AUS (2022)
• 2023 Trials Winner: Abbey Harkin – 31.14
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 30.33

Top 8

1. Mia O’Leary (GUSC) – 31.26
2. Sienna Harben (GUSC) – 31.29
3. Lily Koch (NUN) – 31.30
4. Sienna Toohey (ALBU) – 31.40
5. Tilly King (BOND) – 31.45
6. Sienna Walo (STHPT) – 31.77
7. Kyla Brown (BOND) – 32.01
8. Isabella Johnson (NCOLL) – 32.08

It was an event for those named Sienna, as they represent 3/8 of the final tonight. However, that said, top honors go to Mia O’Leary. The Griffith-based swimmer backed up her win at April’s Australian Open Championships, where she took first in 31.23. Just .03 off that time, O’Leary, who placed 8th in the 100 last night, will look to show off sprinting abilities.

Her teammate, who finished 3rd in the 100, and one of the Siennas, Sienna Harben, was 2nd fastest this morning as she too was just barely over her seed time as her 31.29 was just over by .02.

The winner of the 100 breast, Sienna Toohey, was a little off her seed time this morning, but one shouldn’t panic as she added time in the 100 prelims, only to drop a PB and qualify for Singapore in the 100. However, Toohey wont be the top teenager in the event as Lily Koch, a fellow 16 year old was .10 faster and secured the 3rd seed tonight with her time of 31.30, a drop of .32 from seed.

The last Sienna in the field, Sienna Walo made the most of her swim as she knocked off .73 from her entry time to secure 6th in tonight’s final with a time of 31.77

Men’s 50 Breaststroke- Prelims

• World Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2017)
• Australian Record: 26.32 – Sam Williamson, (2024)
• AllComers Record: 26.58 – Cameron Van Der Burgh, RSA (2018)
• 2023 Trials Winner: Sam Williamson – 27.17
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 27.06

Top 8

1. Grayson Bell (SOMAQ) – 27.55
2. Nash Wilkes (GUSC) – 27.66
3. James McKechnie (STP) – 27.78
4. Calvin Reed (PROP)/Joshua Anderson (BGRAM) – 27.83
6. Felix Wilson (RACKL) – 27.93
7. Joshua Collett (BOND) – 27.95
8. Bailey Lello (STPET) – 28.01

Top seed Grayson Bell made the most of his single event this week as the 28 year-old equaled his entry time of 27.55 to post the fastest time of the morning and will swim out of lane 4 tonight. Bell placed 2nd at the Australian Open, behind Sam Williamson, who is missing from these trials as he has sustained a season ending injury.

100 breaststroke winner Nash Wilkes won the second heat in 27.66. The Griffith University swimmer, now coached by Adam Peaty‘s former coach, Mel Marshall, dropped .12 from his seed to earn the second spot this morning. Wilkes was not the only swimmer in his heat to drop from seed as Joshua Anderson sliced .10 off his seed to secure a tie for 4th overall with Calvin Reed. 2nd seed Joshua Yong has not been having the strongest meet, as he added .60 to his seed time to finish 12th overall and 11th fastest among Australians.

Men’s 200 Butterfly- Prelims

• World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2022)
• Australian Record: 1:54.46 – Nick D’Arcy, (2009)
• AllComers Record: 1:52.09 – Michael Phelps, USA (2009)
• 2024 Trials Winner: Bown Gough – 1:56.18
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 1:56.03

Top 8

1. Harrison Turner (NCOLL) – 1:57.22
2. William Petric (STPET) – 1:59.47
3. William Jordan (BGRAM) – 2:00.82
4. Joshua Moore (USCS) – 2:00.93
5. Caio Gallo (IONA) – 2:01.16
6. Caleb Driver (CARL) – 2:01.22
7. Sean Alcorn (PAQ) – 2:01.23
8. Charlie Lutton (BGRAM) – 2:01.27

With a very demanding qualifying time of 1:56.03, Harrison Turner did his best to put himself into contention tonight. Turner withdrew out of finals of the 200 free, where he was the 7th seed, to focus on the 100 fly where he was seeded with a 52.35 and cut half a second off to finish 4th in 51.81.

This morning, Turner was out in 54.41 and closed in 1:02.81 to record a time of 1:57.22, just .15 off his seed. There were seven swimmers entered this morning with seed times under 2:00, but only the 3rd seed, William Petric, joined Turner under that time as he was 56.35/1:03.22 to stop the clock in 1:59.47.

While the cut time will be a herculean task as no swimmer at Trials last summer qualified for the event in Paris, expect a great race as the 3rd through 8th seeds are all separated by .45 seconds or less.

2nd seed Ruan Van De Riet was just .16 shy of making the final as his 2:01.43 time this morning, an addition of 3.04 seconds to his seed, slots him into 9th overall.

Men’s MC 200 IM – Prelims

The first heat went the way of Ricky Betar as he recorded a time of 2:10.81, which was fast enough to qualify for Worlds. However, the SM14 athlete won’t occupy the middle lane tonight as SM9 athlete Timothy Hodge‘s 2:16.18 jumped him ahead of Betar and Col Pearse SM10 (2:12.80) as his time was worth more points.

Women’s MC 200 IM – Prelims

SM14 swimmer Taylor Corry built a lead of over a second after the backstroke leg, but top seed SM14’s Stephanie Bruzzese used a strong breaststroke leg to pull herself into the lead, and she never looked back as she touched in 2:35.71 to win the heat by time. Her time earned her 702 points, placing her 4th in the field behind Poppy Wilson, an SM10 swimmer whose time of 2:38.51 scored more points.

Men’s 50 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo, BRA (2009)
• Australian Record: 21.06 – Cam McEvoy, (2023)
• AllComers Record: 21.19 – Ashley Callus, AUS (2009)
• 2024 Trials Winner: Cam McEvoy – 21.35
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 21.94

Top 8

1. Cameron McEvoy (SOMAQ) – 21.76
2. Isaac Cooper (STAND) – 21.86
3. Jamie Jack (STPET) – 21.88
4. Kyle Chalmers (MARI) – 22.07
5. Kai Taylor (STPET) – 22.33
6. Flynn Southam (BOND) – 22.37
7. Thomas Nowakowski (USCS) – 22.39
8. Tane Bidois (KPSC) – 22.55

Will Yang‘s absence from lane 3 in the first heat meant open water for Cam McEvoy to his left. The Olympic champion in the 50 free was pushed throughout the whole race by the 4th seed Isaac Cooper, who went a PB of 21.86 to finish just .10 back of McEvoy. The Australian record holder, who is expecting a child within a few month,s won the first heat in 21.76 but should have more in the tank tonight, as he took a breath into the finish.

Another expectant father, Kyle Chalmers, who, like McEvoy, is making his debut at the meet this morning, gave the #2 seed Jamie Jack a run for his money in the 2nd heat over the first half of the race, but Jack started to pull away as he took the heat in 21.88 ahead of Chalmers’s 22.07. Jack finished 2nd behind McEvoy at the Australian Open Champs back in April in a time of 21.88, so his time this morning is an improvement upon that.

Heat three was a slow affair as winner Flynn Southam sits just 7th (6th among Australians) after the circle-seeded heats. After finishing 2rd in the 200 free last night by just .14, Southam timed his finish perfect to touch ahead of Thomas Nowakowski by just .02 as the Bond swimmer was 22.37 to Nowakowki’s 22.39. 3rd seed Ben Armbruster has not been in the best of form this week, and his addition of .73 to his seed time of 21.84 earned him the 9th spot (22.57) amongst Australians, .02 back of the 16th seed Tane Bidois, whose 22.55 was a drop of .12 from seed.

After initially missing the 200 free finals last night and being scratched into it, Kai Taylor rebounded well this morning, dropping .21 from his seed to record a time of 22.33.

Fiji’s Tolu Young slashed .14 off his seed time of 22.29 to finish 5th overall with a result of 22.15, but as a non-Australia, Young will be relegated to the B Final.

Women’s MC 50 Backstroke – Prelims

Just three swimmers contested this event this morning. Alyssa Gillespie, an S8 swimmer, was 2nd fastest this morning but her 38.73 scored more points when compared to Lilly-Anne Gould’s, an S14 athlete, 38.02.

Men’s MC 50 Backstroke – Prelims

Tom Gallager, an S10 swimmer, and Ethan Blockey, an S14 swimmer, both dropped time from seeds as Gallagher cut .48 from his entry to stop the clock in 28.47, while Blockey sliced .38 from his seed time, hitting the wall in 31.06. However, their improvements weren’t enough to match the points that S14 athlete Benjamin Hance achieved from his 26.22 50 back. Hance will get another chance tonight to match his competitors’ drops as he was just .07 slower than his seed of 26.15

Men’s 800 Freestyle – Early Heats

• World Record: 7:32.12 – Zhang Lin, CHN (2009)
• Australian Record: 7:37.76 – Samuel Short, (2023)
• AllComers Record: 7:40.39 – Samuel Short, AUS (2023)
• 2024 Trials Winner: 7:44.90 – Elijah Winnington
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 7:48.66

Top 8 (so far)

1. Alec Mander (STSH) – 8:02.11
2. Thomas Hauck (ALLSA) – 8:05.56
3. Robert Bonsall (COP) – 8:08.00
4. James Smith (DAR) – 8:11.60
5. Harry Hay (MLC) – 8:18.55
6. Gabriel Wilczak (GUSC) – 8:22.11
7. Corben Powell (MARI) – 8:29.04
8. Nathan Williams (CMBT) – 8:34.87

Two timed finals were scheduled to occur this morning in the men’s 800 free, but a few withdrawals allowed for the consolidation of the heats to have just two total heats in the event, with the fastest heat, an expected duel between Elijah Winnington and Samuel Short, occurring in the final session tonight.

However, the time expected to be made up by the removal of the heat was slightly lessened as the timing system needed to be adjusted for the changes. It’s not the first issue experienced this morning, as there have been multiple soft touches and touchpad replacements.

That said, the first and only heat this morning was led by lane 4’s Alec Mander. The 11th seed entering the event, Mander was out in 1:55.7, leading out Thomas Hauck by nearly two and a half seconds. Over the next 100, Mander continued to build his lead, and by the 400, flipping in exactly 3:57.00, Mander had a lead of over three seconds, but Hauck and Robert Bonsall started to peg the early leader back, and by the 600, the lead had fallen back to 2.5 seconds as Hauck went to his legs a little earlier in an attempt to catch him.

With the bell ringing, Mander, 7:03.02 at the 700, led by 2.32 over his shadow, Hauck. Despite his best efforts, Hauck couldn’t match Mander’s last 50 as he came into the wall in 8:02.11, lengthening the lead to 3.45 as Hauck touched in 8:05.56.

The top three all had strong drops from their seed times as Mander cut nearly 7 seconds, with Hauck knocking off 6.62 and 3rd place finisher Bonsall cutting 5.79 to stop the clock in 8:08.00.

While not directly relevant to this heat, the broadcast commentators mentioned that Sam Short, the 2nd seed in the 800 tonight, dropped the 200 individual event, where he finished in 2nd. The spot know likely falls to the 3rd place finisher Flynn Southam.