2026 Australian Swimming Trials: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2026 AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING TRIALS

• Monday, June 8 – Saturday, June 13, 2026
• Sydney, Australia
• Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Commonwealth Selection Criteria
• Pan Pac Selection Criteria
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Storylines To Watch
• Live Recaps:
  • Prelims: Day 1

The opening night of finals from the 2026 Australian Swimming Trials promises to be an exciting one with some of the country’s biggest stars competing, led by Sam Short, Kaylee McKeown and Lani Pallister.

The session opens with the final of the men’s 400 free, where Short is the big favorite after winning silver at last year’s World Championships. Injury and illness have plagued Short over the past few years, but if he can have a clean run throughout 2026, the world record in the 400 free might be within his grasp.

Tonight’s session will also feature the women’s 400 free, 50 back, 100 fly and 200 IM, and the men’s 50 back and 100 breast. We’ll also see the multi-class 200 free and 50 fly for both genders.

McKeown headlines the women’s 50 back, having posted the top time in the world this season in the prelims, while Pallister is the big favorite in the women’s 400 free. Illness caused McKeown to drop the women’s 200 IM this morning, where Ella Ramsay established herself as the top seed in 2:10.70.

Spots on both the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championship rosters will be on the line this week.

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 3:39.96, Lukas Martens (GER) – 2025
• Commonwealth Record: 3:40.08, Ian Thorpe – 2002
• Australian Record: 3:40.08, Ian Thorpe – 2002
• All Comers Record: 3:40.54, Ian Thorpe (AUS) – 2002
• SA Qualifying Time: 3:45.88

‘A’ Final

1. Sam Short (RACKL), 3:40.67
2. Elijah Winnington (STPET), 3:44.17
3. Benjamin Goedemans (STPET), 3:45.85
4. Tex Cross (HLDR), 3:47.33
5. Matthew Galea (STPET), 3:47.94
6. Thomas Neill (RACKL), 3:48.57
7. Alec Mander (SSPW), 3:49.03
8. Bill Atkinson (RACKL), 3:49.76

Sam Short went out like a rocket in the men’s 400 free final, establishing himself as the leader from the get-go and putting Lukas Martens‘ world record on notice.

Short turned in 52.28 at the 100 and 1:47.33 at the 200, well under pace relative to his previous lifetime best of 3:40.68 set in 2023, and then with 50 meters to go, he was sitting one one-hundredth under Martens’ world record pace, putting the crowd on its feet as they cheered him home.

Short couldn’t quite close as well as usual due to his blistering front-half, ultimately touching in 3:40.67 to claim the victory, record the 10th-fastest performance in history, and set a new PB by one one-hundredth.

The performance also moves Short up into the top spot in the 2025-26 world rankings by nearly a full second, having previously ranked 3rd with the 3:42.53 he clocked at the Australian Open in April.

ranking id=955532 top=5]

Short said he feels “invincible” in his post-race interview, which is a scary proposition for the rest of the world heading into the summer championship meets.

Claiming the runner-up spot and qualifying for his third straight Commonwealth Games team was Elijah Winnington, who had the fastest closing 50 in the field (27.31) to clock 3:44.17, his fastest swim since going 3:43.99 at the 2025 Australian Trials.

Winnington’s St. Peter’s teammate Benjamin Goedemans placed 3rd in 3:45.85, just shy of his 3:45.57 lifetime best set last year.

Nineteen-year-old Tex Cross also had an impressive showing, cracking 3:48 for the first time in 3:47.33 to snag 4th ahead of Matthew Galea (3:47.94).

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• World Record: 2:05.70, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2025
• Commonwealth Record: 2:05.70, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2025
• Australian Record: 2:06.63, Kaylee McKeown – 2024
• All Comers Record: 2:06.63, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2024
• SA Qualifying Time: 2:10.49

‘A’ Final

1. Jenna Forrester (STPET), 2:09.07
2. Ella Ramsay (NUN), 2:09.40
3. Tara Kinder (MVC), 2:10.14
4. Lexi Harrison (MNLY), 2:14.18
5. Heidi Shumack (SOSC) / Kayla Hardy (CRUIZ), 2:14.89
6. –
7. Julia Eve Spedding (GUSC), 2:17.09
8. Alannah Torrance (NUN), 2:17.88

MEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY MC – FINAL

WOMEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY MC – FINAL

MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 56.88, Adam Peaty (GBR) – 2019
• Commonwealth Record: 56.88, Adam Peaty (GBR) – 2019
• Australian Record: 58.58, Brenton Rickard – 2009
• All Comers Record: 58.80, Samuel Williamson – 2024
• SA Qualifying Time: 59.39

‘A’ Final

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 3:54.18, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2025
• Commonwealth Record: 3:54.18, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2025
• Australian Record: 3:55.38, Ariarne Titmus – 2023
• All Comers Record: 3:55.44, Ariarne Titmus (AUS) – 2024
• SA Qualifying Time: 4:06.75

‘A’ Final

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 26.86, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2023
• Commonwealth Record: 26.86, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2023
• Australian Record: 26.98, Kaylee McKeown – 2023
• All Comers Record: 26.98, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2023
• SA Qualifying Time: 27.57

‘A’ Final

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE MC – FINAL

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE MC – FINAL

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 54.33, Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 2026
• Commonwealth Record: 55.59, Maggie MacNeil (CAN) – 2021
• Australian Record: 55.72, Emma McKeon – 2021
• All Comers Record: 55.93, Emma McKeon (AUS) – 2021
• SA Qualifying Time: 57.11

‘A’ Final

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 23.55, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) – 2023
• Commonwealth Record: 24.04, Liam Tancock (GBR) – 2009
• Australian Record: 24.12, Isaac Cooper – 2024
• All Comers Record: 24.38, Isaac Cooper (AUS) – 2024
• SA Qualifying Time: 24.53

‘A’ Final