2025 Australian Swimming Trials – Day 4 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 | Day 3
  • Finals: Day 1 |Day 2 | Day 3

Well folks, we have hit the halfway point of the 2025 Australian Swimming Trials, as three of the six days have already gone by. Don’t be sad though as that means that there is still plenty of exciting races as swimmers are still in the hunt to be named to the World Championship and Para-World Championship teams.

This morning starts off with a barnburner as the Women’s 200 back will be the first ones to enter the water. Leading the way, rather obviously, is World Record Holder and defending Olympic Gold Medalist Kaylee McKeown.

After punching her ticket in the 50 and 100 back earlier in the program, McKeown will seek to add the last of the backstroke events. Seeded with her 2:03.30 from last Summer’s Trials, McKeown leads the field by over four seconds and comfortably sits under the time standard of 2:10.51. Behind her, however, a tight battle for 2nd looks to be brewing.

Eighteen-year-old Jaclyn Barclay, the 2024 Worlds silver medalist in this event is the 2nd seed with an entry of 2:07.88, but less than half a second back is teammate, 22-year-old Hannah Fredericks, whose 2:08.25 makes her the 3rd seed and hungry for a spot on the team as she was equal to the standard in the 100, but placed 3rd behind McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan, the latter of whom last year did give up her spot in the event after having placed 2nd.

The Men’s 200 IM sees the top three finalists from last year as this year’s top three seeds this go-around. No one was under the standard in 2024, but this year, both William Petric and Brendon Smith are entered under the qualification time of 1:59.05. Petric and Smith both made the Olympics in the 400 IM but would love to already have a berth booked before their best event comes around. So, too, would the third seed, Se-Bom Lee. Entered above the standard, the 2024 Olympian in the 200 back kicks off his campaign to qualify for Singapore this morning.

S9 swimmer Alexa Leary leads the Women’s MC 100 freestyle with an entry time of 58.89. The defending Paralympic Champion Leary, like her counterpart in the men’s event Rowan Crothers, an S10 swimmer, will be looking to add this event to their line-ups as well as help set up the all-important 4×100 free relay teams for Worlds.

After falling short of qualifying in the 100 fly, top seed Elizabeth Dekkers is back in the water for her bread and butter event, the 200 fly. The 2023 Worlds silver medalist in the event, Dekkers leads a field of just 20 women. Seeded in 2:05.20, her Allcomers record, Dekkers, will be under threat as fellow Paris Olympian Abbey Connor, as well as Brittany Castelluzzo and Bella Grant, are all seeded within the qualifying time.

The MC 100s breaststroke are up next, and expect the competition to be tight. Paige Leonhardt leads the way for the women, but as spots in the final are determined by points, she may be under some pressure as Keira Stephens is seeded just .20 back.\ but as they are different classifications, it will all come down to how they perform against the Para classification standard.

The men’s 100 free, like the 200 earlier in the week, will be an intense battle as every swimmer will be in the hunt for a coveted spot in the finals as there are more tickets to Singapore on the line as the men’s 4×100 free relay needs to be populated. Kyle Chalmers leads the charge with his seed of 47.48, the only swimmer under 48.00. 2nd seed William Yang, 3rd seed Flynn Southam, and 4th seed Jamie Jack are all under the 48.34 qualifying standard but may be pushed by the likes of Zac Incerti, Edward Sommerville, Max Giuliani, Matt Temple and trying his hand at the 100 Elijah Winnington.

The session concludes with the 2nd and 3rd heats of the Women’s 800 free. Lani Pallister is well and away the favorite tonight in the timed finals, but the likes of Dominique Melbourn or 15-year-old Isobel Mulcahy could make some noise, as yesterday morning’s men’s 800 free saw multiple swimmers jump up into the top 8 rankings.

Women’s 200 Backstroke – Prelims

• World Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
• Australian Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, (2023)
• AllComers Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
• 2024 Trials Winner: Kaylee McKeown – 2:03.30
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 2:10.51

Top 8

1. Kaylee McKeown (USCS) – 2:10.92
2. Hannah Fredericks (STPET) – 2:13.25
3. Jaclyn Barclay (STPET) – 2:13.40
4. Jenna Forrester (STPET) – 2:13.84
5. Zoe Ammundsen (NCOLL) – 2:14.20
6. Allanah Banks (SYP) – 2:15.75
7. Abbey Kearney (NUN) – 2:16.36
8. Lexi Harrison (MNLY) – 2:17.41

Only seven swimmers filled the possible ten lanes in the first heat of the 200 back, as Bella Grant, the 4th seed, opted to swim the 200 fly instead. With open water to both her left and right, McKeown, swimming out of lane 4, took the race out very smoothly and controlled flipping at the 50 in 30.18 and led at the 100, opening in 1:03.95.

The World Record holder never appeared to be under pressure and never once seemed to be under threat as she cruised into the wall with a time of 2:10.92, closing in the last 100 in 1:06.97. Jenna Forrester, more known as an IMer, was on a mission this morning, and she sliced 2..98 seconds off her seed time to stop the clock at 2:13.84. Forrester fell short of making the team in the 200 IM, and while she still has the 400 IM to come, Forrester does have a backstroke pedigree, having made the final in the event at the Fukuoka World Champs.

McKeown’s fellow Paris Olympian Jaclyn Barclay led heat 2 from start to finish, but it was a tighter affair. Barclay was out in 1:05.21 and closed in 1:08.19 to touch in 2:13.40, touching ahead of Zoe Ammundsen and Alannah Banks, who were at 1:05.02 and 1:05.89 at the 100 but weren’t able to match Barclay’s last 100 as they touched in 2:14.20 and 2:15.75.

The last of the circle-seeded heats saw the 3rd place finisher in the 100 back, Hannah Fredericks, jump ahead of Barclay to qualify into tonight’s final as the #2 seed with a time of 2:13.25. All of the swimmers save Forrester and 8th place qualifier Lexi Harrison, who dropped .52 from her seed added time, but with the withdrawals from Grant and 7th seed Jessica Wilson, the top seeds were not under much risk of not making the final.

Men’s 200 I.M. – Prelims

• World Record: 1:54.00 – Ryan Lochte, USA (2011)
• Australian Record: 1:55.72 – Mitch Larkin, 2019
• AllComers Record: 1:54.98 – Michael Phelps, USA (2007)
• 2024 Trials Winner: William Petric – 1:57.54
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 1:59.05

Top 8

1. William Petric (STPET) – 1:59.54
2. David Schlicht (MLC) – 2:00.29
3. Gabriel Gorgas (MNLY) – 2:00.97
4. Brendon Smith (STPET) – 2:01.78
5. Se-Bom Lee (SOSC) – 2:02.35
6. Samuel Higgs (WASC) – 2:02.59
7. Cameron Ricchini (MIAMI) – 2:03.50
8. Xavier Metcalfe (RACKL) – 2:03.51

Former Arizona State swimmer David Schlict took it to the top seed William Petric over the first 150 meters. The 5th place finalist at short course Worlds, Schlicht led by just .05 at the 100 turn, transitioning to the breaststroke at 55.82 with Petric at 55.87. Petric closed the gap over the course of the breaststroke, opening up a gap of around .3, and never looked back as he opened it up just a little more as he got his hand to the wall first in a time of 1:59.54. The ASU product wasn’t too far back but was on the other side of the 2:00 minute barrier as he stopped the clock at 2:00.29. Gabriel Gorgas’ whose last 50 was nearly a second faster than Petric’s, dropped .68 from his seed to grab third in 2:00.97.

The first heat was a much faster affair as the top three swimmers kept their positions atop the leaderboard for the rest of the event. Brendon Smith, more known as 400 IMer, claimed the second heat, winning in 2:01.78, an addition of 3.66 to his seed time. Smith was over a second back at the 100 turn (56.96) and was over a second slower on the breaststroke split as compared to the top three. Smith, a veteran of the Aussie team, may have been playing it safe and only doing enough to advance.

The 3rd seed, Se-Bom Lee, making his debut this week, took the last heat in a time of 2:02.35. After a very long hold on the block, Lee out in 56.75, too was much slower on the breaststroke and closed in controlled 30.08, the slowest amongst the top 8 and the only swimmer above 30 to finish with a time of 2:02.35

Women’s 100 Freestyle MC – Prelims

S9 World Record Holder Alexa Leary was flirting with her own world record over the first of three heats in the Women’s 100 Free MC. Leary stopped the clock in 59.68, less than a second shy of her record time of 58.89. Her time, in addition to being the fastest in the field, also accumulated the most points as her time equaled 992 points and was under the qualifying time. Fellow S9 swimmer Emily Beecroft placed 2nd points-wise as her 1:04.27 earned her 795 points , bumping her ahead of a few swimmers who were faster but in different categories.

Heat 2 saw no swimmers with qualifying time, but the last heat saw S3 swimmer Rachel Watson and S7 swimmer Chloe Osborn produce results of 1:31.59 and 1:11.57, where not only earned them 876 and 859 points, but also get them under the standard to make the team for Para – Worlds.

Men’s 100 Freestyle MC – Prelims

While both were a little off their entry times, Rowan Crothers and Tom Gallagher set up a great race tonight as the two posted times of 52.26 and 52.57 to qualify into tonight’s final in lanes 4 and 5. Accumulating 910 and 894 points, the pair of S10 athletes will also have to keep an eye on the time put up by Callum Simpson, who, while swimming 5+ seconds slower, qualified into the final with 875 points as the S8 athlete was also close to the Para standard.

Women’s 200 Butterfly – Prelims

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Liu Zige, CHN (2009)
• Australian Record: 2:03.41 – Jessicah Schipper, (2009)
• AllComers Record: 2:05.20 – Elizabeth Dekkers, AUS (2024)
• 2024 Trials Winner: Elizabeth Dekkers – 2:06.01
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 2:09.21

Top 8

1. Elizabeth Dekkers (QLD) – 2:08.70
2. Abbey Connor (QLD) – 2:09.01
3. Bella Grant (NSW) – 2:09.85
4. Brittany Catelluzzo (SA) – 2:10.86
5. Lucy Dring (QLD) – 2:12.41
6. Kayla Hardy (ACT) – 2:12.93
7. Poppy Stephen (QLD) – 2:12.99
8. Jessica Cole (NSW) – 2:13.28

Elizabeth Dekkers, a 2023 Worlds silver medalist in this event, looked smooth and in control of the first of just two heats in the Women’s 200 fly. Out in 1:01.10 , Dekkers never looked like she was ever under pressure and keeping to her trademark one beat kick, Dekkers closed in 1:07.60 to stop the clock in 2:08.70. Behind her was Brittany Castelluzzo, who was 1:02.56 at the 100 turn, and split 1:08.30 to touch 2nd in a time of 2:10.86.

The second heat saw Bella Grant, who withdrew from the 200 back about an hour ago, stake herself to an early lead as she opened in 28.80 with 2024 Olympic Finalist Abbey Connor not far back at 28.97. Connor, who was 8th in Paris, took over by the 100 as she touched in 1:01.52, with Grant slipping back to 1:01.67, a deficit of .15. Connor continued to build an ever-so-slight lead, and she came into the wall in 2:09.01, with Grant .84 back at 2:09.85.

The top four were all entered with times under the Qualifying time, so expect tonight to not only be a faster affair but also much more competitive, as it represents many of these athletes’ last chances to make the Singapore team.

Women’s 100 Breaststroke MC – Prelims

Southport Olympic teammates Paige Leonhardt (SB14) and Keira Stephens (SB9) will enter tonight’s final in the middle two lanes. Leonhardt’s 1:18.24 secured her 780 points, putting her just ahead of Stephens with 738 points courtesy of her 1:18.55.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke MC – Prelims

SB14 swimmer Jake Michel smashed the first heat as he undercut his seed time of 1:40.30 with a result of 1:04.11, which broke the 900-point barrier, slotting him into lane four tonight with 938 points. Looking to challenge him tonight are SB8 swimmer Timothy Hodge, whose 1:13.46 earned him 759 points and fellow SB14 swimmer Ricky Betar who cut 2.7 seconds from his seed to stop the clock in 1:09.62, earning him 732 points.

Men’s 100 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record: 46.40 – Pan Zhanle, CHN (2024)
• Australian Record: 47.04 – Cam McEvoy, (2016)
• AllComers Record: 47.04 – Cam McEvoy, AUS (2016)
• 2024 Trials Winner: Kyle Chalmers – 47.75
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 48.34

Top 8

1. Kyle Chalmers (MARI) – 48.26
2. Zac Incerti (USCS) – 48.46
3. Flynn Southam (BOND) /Max Giuliani (TSS) – 48.55
5. Kai Taylor (STPET) – 48.63
6. Edward Sommerville (BGRAM) – 48.75
7. Harrison Turner (NCOLL) – 48.79
8. Jamie Jack (STPET) – 48.88

Zac Incerti exploded off the blocks to establish himself the early lead in the first heat of the men’s 100 free. Incerti, who scratched out of the final of the 200 free earlier in the week, flipped in 23.02 to lead lane 5’s Jamie Jack (23.03) by just .01 and top-seeded Kyle Chalmers (23.36) by .34. However, the 2023 Fukuoka World Champion surged on the back half closing in 24.90 to stop the clock in 48.26.

Incerti couldn’t match the change in gears from Chalmers, closing in 25.44, but it was still enough to beat out Jack for 2nd place as he stopped the clock in 48.46, a drop of .27 from seed. Jack, closing in 25.85 had to settle for 4th in the heat at 48.88 and will have a nervous wait to see if it was enough to place into the top 8 as Edward Sommerville‘s 25.26 last 50 brought him over the top of Jack to finish in 48.75.

#2 seed William Yang had lane 4 in the second heat but was under pressure from the get-go. Opening in 23.56, Yang, who placed 15th in the event at the Paris Olympics, was trailing both Max Giuliani (23.44) and Harrison Turner, who was out quickly in 23.29. Turner has been on fire this week, having made the finals in the 200 free and 100 free and then last night crushing a new PB to book his ticket to Singapore in the 200 fly last night.

Turner paid a little for his early speed as Giuliani and Kai Taylor (23.57 – 1st 50) passed him on the last 50, coming home in 25.11 and 25.06. Giuliani got the heat win in 48.55, a drop of .35 from seed, with Taylor not far back at 48.55. Turner came home in a 25.50 to touch in 48.79, a drop of .75 from seed. Yang finished 4th in the heat at 49.00 and, with one circle-seeded heat remaining, sits in 8th.

The third heat was a slower affair, as only Flynn Southam would move on from the heat, meaning Yang, last summer’s 2nd place finisher, has been relegated to 9th. Southam, hitting the halfway point in 23.69, trailed both 100 fly winner Matthew Temple (23.65) and Zander Coates (23.48). However, the 3rd place finisher in the 200 free turned on the jets on the backhalf and closed in 24.86 to win the heat in a time of 48.55 to secure the 3rd spot tonight. Both Temple and Coates paid for their early speed as Temple finished in 13th overall at 49.51 and Coates in 20th at 49.98.

Women’s 800 Freestyle – Timed Finals Early Heats

• World Record: 8:04.12 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2025)
• Australian Record: 8:12.29 – Ariarne Titmus, (2024)
• AllComers Record: 8:11.35 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2014)
• 2024 Trials Winner: Ariarne Titmus – 8:14.06
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 8:34.62

Top 8

1. Hannah Allen (RACKL) – 8:51.76
2. Dominique Melbourn (STPET) – 8:59.05
3. Isobel Mulcahy (CARL) – 9:01.08
4. Madison Cooper (MELB) -9:06.50
5. Dakoda Mathers (NUN) – 9:06.93
6. Chloe Brodrick (CARL) – 9:09.13
7. Charlotte Bowmer (TRGR) – 9:09.34
8. Maya Bearman (IONA) – 9:14.11

The two heats of the Women’s 800 free were very similar stories as Hannah Allen Charlotte Bowemer jumped out to early leads and just continued to grow the distance between them and their competitors as they claimed victor in 8:51.79 and 9:09.34. Allen’s time was a 2.71 drop from seed, while Bowmer was just off her time, adding .42.