2026 Australian Swimming Trials: Day 2 Prelims – 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
  • Final: Day 1

HEAT SHEET (ALL PRELIMS)

Day 2 of the 2026 Australian Swimming Trials is expected to feature a great slate of swimming, as swimmers buoyed by their performance(s) yesterday will look to build on them this morning. Others, who may have been disappointed with their results, will look to use that as fuel to get things right this morning, in order to set themselves up for success this evening.

Kaylee McKeown had a great day yesterday in the 50 back, winning the event and posting the World’s fastest time this season as the 24-year-old stopped the clock at 27.13. The World Record holder did scratch out of the 200 IM and has been reported as being ill, but looked right as rain as she beat out Mollie O’Callaghan and Iona Anderson. The trio is slated to clash again this session, with the trio occupying the 1st, 2nd and 4th seeds in the 100 backstroke, and while McKeown’s backstroke prowess likely will be too much for the pair, don’t count them out.

Also riding a high from yesterday is Ella Ramsay, who earned her spot on both rosters thanks to her 2nd place in the 200 IM. Recently relocated to Nunawading, Ramsay is the 2nd seed in the 100 breaststroke, where she will be chasing down last year’s breakout swimmer of the meet, Sienna Toohey, who at 17, is the top seed in the event. Toohey is leading a youth revolt of sorts in the events, as 18 of the top 30 seeds are still teenagers.

While not a teenager, Samuel Short still has youth on his side, as the 400 free winner from last night is still just 22. Short, who blew apart the field and was under World Record pace for much of the race, is the 4th seed and 2nd fastest Australian in this morning’s 200 free. Short was out lighting fast in both the prelims and finals of the 400 yesterday, so look for him to show off his sprinting chops this morning.

While they posted strong times yesterday, both Alexandria Perkins and Henry Allan will be looking to turn things around this morning. Perkins won the 100-fly last night but was candid in her post-race interview, stating she was hoping for a PB. The reigning world silver medalist in 50 fly returns to the pool and will look to blow apart the field like she did yesterday. Allan, on the other hand, looked to be in great position to make the team in the 50 back, after having undercut the qualifying time earlier in the year, but the young 17-year-old fell just outside the range by .06. The Bendingo East swimmers is the top seed in this morning’s 100 back but has quite the task of trying to better the time needed to punch a ticket to Pan-Pacs and Commonwealth Games.

This morning also marks the first sighting of some of Australia’s biggest swimmers as Kyle Chalmers makes his debut as the 3rd seed in this morning’s last event, the 100 fly. King Kyle has his work cut out for him though, as not only is he seeded slower than the qualifying time but he’ll have to get around both Matthew Temple and Ben Armbruster if he wants to punch his ticket today. The trio isn’t the only stars to be making their debut as Edward Sommerville and Flynn Southam help fill the draw in the men’s 200 free. Each of them has been drawn into separate heats, but look for the pair to try to post times to rival Short’s from the 1st heat.

Women’s 100 Breaststroke – Prelims

• World Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (USA), 2017
• Commonwealth Record: 1:04.82 – Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA), 2021
• Australian Record: 1:05.09 – Leisel Jones (Commercial), 2006
• All-Comers Record: 1:05.09 – Leisel Jones (Commercial), 2006
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 1:06.17

Top 8

1. Ella Ramsay (NUN) – 1:07.91
2. Sienna Harben (GUSC) – 1:07.95
3. Sienna Toohey (ALBU) – 1:08.62
4. Matilda Smith (MIAMI) – 1:08.66
5. Keahne Bergin (RACKL) – 1:08.67
6. Lily Koch (MVC) – 1:08.79
7. Tara Kinder (MVC) – 1:09.08
8. Isabel Johnson (NCOLL) – 1:09.22

It was a battle of the 17-year-olds to open the race as Sienna Toohey was trailed by Lily Koch by less than half a second, with Toohey touching the halfway wall at 31.67. Toohey, who shocked the nation last year winning the event and qualifying for the Singapore Worlds, never looked to be in control of the race as she was pressed over the back half by not only Koch but also by Keahne Begin and Tara Kinder, the latter of whom placed 3rd in the 200 IM last night. Begin, also 17 and one of the up-and-coming breaststrokers, looked to take the win, but Toohey used a great finishing lunge to take the win in 108.62, .05 ahead of Bergin and .17 clear of Koch.

The 2nd seed and last night’s runner-up in the 200 IM looked smooth and in control of her heat as Ella Ramsay posted a time of 1:07.91 to not only touch first but to earn lane 4 in the final tonight. Out in 32.08, Ramsay, who recently changed coaches and training locations, used a strong back half (35.83) to pull her way past Mia O’Leary, who was out in a blistering pace, but appeared to be going for a 50 split as she swam freestyle on the last 50. Also passing Toohey’s time from the first heat was the 3rd seed Sienna Harben, who was 1:07.95 in the 3rd heat.

Ramsay and Harben look to be in good stead for the final tonight as not only are they the only pair under 1:08.00 but are clear of the field by over half a second. That said, they and the rest of the top eight will have to do a lot to get under the very fast qualifying time of 1:06.17.

Women’s 50 Butterfly – Prelims

• World Record: 24.43 – Sarah Sjöström (SWE), 2009
• Commonwealth Record: 25.20 – Fran Halsall (ENG), 2014
• Australian Record: 25.31 – Holly Barrett (Rockingham), 2019/Alexandria Perkins (AUS), 2025
• All-Comers Record: 25.33 – Rikako Ikee (JPN), 2024
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 25.62

Top 8

1. Alex Perkins (USCS) – 25.74
2. Lily Price (RACKL) – 26.00
3. Olivia Hine (SOMAQ) – 26.38
4. Mackenzie Burns (STAND) – 26.44
5. Chloe Rowe-Hagans (STAND) – 26.54
6. Claudia Fydler (BOND) – 26.64
7. Josephine Crimmins (SOMAQ) – 26.78
8. Isabella Boyd (NUN) – 26.90

Alexandria Perkins continued from where she left things last night, dropping a very fast prelims swim of 25.74.  The co-Australian record holder, Perkins, won the 100 fly last night, but stated in her post-race interview to be disappointed with the result. While her time this morning is not her best this season, having gone 25.44 at the New South Wales State Open Championships back in March, her prelims time still does rank among the world’s best, and would clock in as the 12th fastest swim.

While Perkins will be seeking to repeat her standing from last night, Lily Price will be hoping for a better result as she entered the 100 fly final as the 2nd seed, but added in finals and fell to 4th. The Rackley-based 23-year-old entered the meet as the 2nd seed with a time of 25.61, a time that sits .01 under the qualifying time, but she will have to be on form as she was just 26.00 this morning and has a season best of 25.84 from the Westmont Pro Swim Series meet back in March.

Women’s Multi Class 100 Butterfly – Prelims

Five swimmers broke the 700 point barrier with Jasmine Greenwood and Kael Thompson leading the way with 785 and 777 points, respectively. The S10 and S14 athletes hit the wall just .20 apart with Greenwood’s 1:07.86 leading the way.

Men’s Multi Class 100 Butterfly – Prelims

The men’s Multi Class 100 fly is set to be a barnburner event with three swimmers cracking the 800 point barrier this morning. Declan Budd (S14) posted the fastest time and scored the most points as his 57.70 earned him 828 points. The 18-year-old, whose time was fast enough to qualify him for PARA-Pans, is over a second off his seed, so look for him as well as Timothy Hodge (818 pts) and Lewis Bishop (800 pts) to duke it out tonight.

Women’s 100 Backstroke – Prelims

• World Record: 57.13 – Regan Smith (USA), 2024
• Commonwealth Record: 57.16 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2025
• Australian Record: 57.16 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2025
• All-Comers Record: 57.41 – Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University), 2024
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 59.56

Top 8

1. Iona Anderson (HLDR) – 59.32
2. Kaylee McKeown (USCS) – 59.56
3. Hannah Fredericks (STPET) – 1:00.44
4. Alyssa Burgess (HLDR) – 1:00.83
5. Zoe Ammundsen (NCOLL) – 1:01.17
6. Jaclyn Barclay (GUSC) – 1:01.32
7. Heidi Shumack (SOSC) – 1:01.65
8. Emily Jones (HUNT) – 1:01.77

We will know tonight if Kaylee McKeown was swimming a controlled race in prelims or if the recently revealed illness was playing havoc on her, as the 2nd fastest swimmer and former World Record holder was beaten to both the 50 and 100 wall by Iona Anderson. The 20-year-old Highlanders swimmer was 28.69 to her feet and led McKeown by .40 at the 50. McKeown, four years her senior, tried to run her down to take the heat win but came up short, with Anderson taking the win in 59.32, .24 ahead of McKeown’s 59.56.

Anderson’s time is far from a personal best, but does jump her up the world rankings, going from 19th to 10th. Her time also dips under the qualifying standard of 59.56, a very promising result, especially as Mollie O’Callaghan was a no-show in the 2nd heat, meaning that one of the two presumptive roster spots is much more up for grabs.

Men’s 200 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• Commonwealth Record: 1:44.06 – Ian Thorpe (AUS), 2001
• Australian Record: 1:44.06 – Ian Thorpe (SLC Aquadot), 2001
• All-Comers Record: 1:43.86 – Michael Phelps (USA), 2007
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 1:45.60

Top 8

1. Samuel Short (RACKL) – 1:45.52
2. Edward Sommerville (BGRAM) – 1:45.88
3. Kai Taylor (STPET) – 1:46.03
4. Charlie Hawke (RACKL) – 1:46.16
5. Harrison Turner (NCOLL) – 1:46.21
6. Cameron Bladen (TGSH) – 1:46.95
7. Elijah Winnington (STPET) – 1:47.26
8. William Petric (NUN) – 1:47.36

While Sam Short doesn’t have the versatility of Hubert Kos, so I can’t repeat my question of “what can’t he do?” from the NCAA Championships, Short is continuing to turn heads as the Rackley based 22-year-old blasted his way to a yet another new personal best, adding to his 400 PB from last night, a result that makes him the 5th fastest performer of all time.

Short opened his race in 51.47 and led both Charlie Hawke (51.53) and Korea’s Sunwoo Hwang (51.51) by small margins but used his distance pedigree to maintain that speed, splitting the lone sub-27 3rd 50 (26.98). He nearly equaled that split as he kept on the gas coming home in 27.07 to stop the clock at 1:45.52, bettering his former best of 1:45.71 by .19. The result plants Short just outside the World’s top 10 this season, ranking him 11th, but he does break into the Australia top 10 of all time in 10th.

Edward Sommerville of Brisbane Grammer was the only other swimmer to join Short under 1:46 as the 21-year-old won the 2nd heat in 1:45.88. Sommerville attacked the race very differently, pouring on the gas on the front half, opening in 50.82, before slowing on the last 100, closing in 27.20 and 27.86. It’s not a season best for Summerville, who was 1:45.34 at November’s Tokyo Open and currently ranks 7th in the world.

While their performances are noteworthy, as are Harrison Turner‘s and Cameron Bladen‘s big drops from seed, going from 1:47.01 to 1:46.21 and 1:47.93 to 1:46.95, there were some upsets to note, with Thomas Neill, Marcus da Silva, and Max Giuliani all missing the final. Their absences, along with Flynn Southam‘s withdrawal, mean that Australia’s 4×200 free relay likely will be looking very different this summer.

The B-final will be chock-full of visiting swimmers as top seed Hwang Sunwoo finished 13th overall at 1:47.60, well off his seed of 1:44.72. The 2024 Doha champion in this event will lock horns with the likes of Neill and da Silva, as well as with South Africa’s Matt Sates and his own compatriot Yang Jaehoon.

Women’s Multi Class 50 Backstroke – Prelims

Only seven swimmers took to the water in the prelims of the Women’s MC 50 Backstroke, so all of the competitors made it back tonight, but with the ability to qualify for Para Pan-Pacs in the morning, Madeline McTernan powered her way to the win. The S14 athlete hit the wall in 33.13, less than a second off her entry time and set the highest point total of the event, collecting 655.

Men’s Multi Class 50 Backstroke – Prelims

Like in the women’s version of this event, all of the entrants automatically earned a berth in the final as only eight swimmers jumped in for the start of the 50 back. Leading the charge with a very impressive morning swim was Benjamin Hance. The 25-year-old S14 athlete from St Andrew’s was just .17 off his entry time of 25.76 as he hit the wall in 25.93, earning 874 points.

Men’s 100 Backstroke – Prelims

• World Record: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 2022
• Commonwealth Record: 51.85 – Pieter Coetze (RSA), 2025
• Australian Record: 52.11 – Mitch Larkin (St Peters Western), 2015
• All-Comers Record: 52.38 – Mitch Larkin (St Peters Western), 2019
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 52.57

Top 8

1. Isaac Cooper (STAND) – 54.37
2. Henry Allan (BDE) – 54.40
3. Stuart Swinburn (COSAC) – 54.58
4. Enoch Robb (GUSC) – 54.96
5. Bradley Woodward (MING) – 54.99
6. Adam Graham (MNLY) – 55.02
7. Jack Morrow (STAND) – 55.11
8. Kim (V.) Woomin (KOR) – 55.20
9. Tate Sirianni (CRAN) – 55.24

Isaac Cooper got the better of Henry Allan once again, repeating the order of finish from last night’s 50 back. Cooper, 22, was out just a shade faster, 26.19 to 26.33, but it was enough to hold off the fast-charging 17-year-old, who closed in 28.07 to stop the clock at 54.40, .03 off of Cooper’s 54.37.

The pair were joined by three others under the 55-second barrier with Stuart Swinburn making a huge drop from his seed, going from 55.24 to 54.58 to earn the 3rd seed tonight ahead of Enoch Robb (54.96) and Bradley Woodward (54.99).

All five, as well as the other three finalists, will have to cut a lot of time tonight to make the team in the event, as the qualifying time is a very stiff 52.57, although per the selection criteria, the Pan-Pac team can take two swimmers in the 100s of stroke for the medley relay.

Men’s 100 Butterfly – Prelims

• World Record: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel (USA), 2021
• Commonwealth Record: 49.99 – Josh Liendo (CAN), 2024
• Australian Record: 50.25 – Matthew Temple (AUS), 2023
• All-Comers Record: 50.45 – Matthew Temple (Nunawading), 2021
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 50.88

Top 8

Making his debut this week, Matthew Temple certainly showed that there was no need to swim his way into the meet as the Australian record holder dropped a massive prelims swim as he hit the wall in 50.60 to comfortably secure the top seed in tonight’s final. The 26-year-old swimmer from Marion was out in 23.67, the 2nd fastest opening 50, but closed in a blistering 26.93 to come within .03 of his seed time and just .35 of his national record.

His time wasn’t the only impressive mark, as two heats later Kyle Chalmers pounded his way out to a speedy first 50 of 23.27. He paid for it on the back half, closing in 27.77, but still managed to hold for a new PB of 51.04, bettering his World Aquatics-recognized best of 51.61 from the 2023 Australian trials, although he was entered with a seed time of 51.28, from a time trial last month.

The pair both jump into the World’s top 10, with Temple improving upon his 5th place ranking thanks to his 50.92 from November’s Tokyo Open to now sit 4th, while Chalmers and his 51.04 bump Josh Liendo from his 9th place perch down to 10th.

After the pair of teammates, it is a bit of a gap to Harrison Turner, who sits 3rd with his 52.25. Turner’s result does come off of a tough double, as the 22-year-old finished 5th overall in the 200 freestyle four events prior.