2026 Australian Swimming Trials: Day 1 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
• Heat Sheet
• Live Results

G’Day!!!!

It’s a great morning (or evening, where I’m covering from) for some fast swimming, as the 2026 Australian Swimming Trials are nigh upon us.

It’s a very important meet, as Swim Australia will be selecting not one but two teams over the course of this meet, with both the Commonwealth and Pan-Pac Teams being selected in the coming days. Yes, that’s right, all of you Aussie Swim Fans will hopefully be able to shout from the stands “AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE” at two different meets as the Dolphins look to light up the pools in both Glasgow, Scotland and Irvine, California, later this summer.

However, let us not jump ahead too far into the future, as those teams have not yet been named and there are plenty of reasons to follow along this meet as Australia’s best look to put on a masterclass of swimming in Sydney this week.

Perhaps the face of Australian swimming in recent years, Kaylee McKeown is slated to appear in two events this morning, with the 24-year-old USC Spartans swimmer coming in as the top seed in both the 200 IM and 50 backstroke. McKeown has stated that these Commonwealth Games will be her last, a competition where she has collected six different medals. Interestingly enough, her events today are the two events in which she was denied the gold medal four years ago in Birmingham, as she placed 2nd in the 200 IM and 3rd in the 50 back.

The 50 back has been an interesting race for the Australian record holder of late; last year at this meet, McKeown was disqualified for a false start in the event, before being reinstated after prelims, allowing her to race the event at Worlds. However, in Singapore, McKeown pulled out of the event, not contesting it at all.

McKeown has more than a false start to worry about in her events, as the 50 back is loaded with talent, with Mollie O’Callaghan, Iona Anderson, Ainsely Trotter, and Semra Olowoniyi all seeded under 28.00. The 200 IM will be no cake walk either as she squares off against the likes of Elaa Ramsay, Tara Kinder and Jenna Forrester.

These two events obviously have star billing, but that by no way means the other events on today’s slate are filler. Things kick off with a bang as Australia’s two best distance swimmers have been drawn into the same heat of the men’s 400 free. Sam Short, who fell ill last year at Worlds but rebounded well with a strong showing at the Pro Swim Series meet in Westmont, IL, earlier this year, is the top seed, but will have Elijah Winnington to one side of him. While they are the top two and favored to make the team, don’t count out Benjamin Goedemans, the 4th seed who is slated to compete against visiting Kim Woomin.

Lani Pallister holds down the fort in the women’s 400 free. After crushing Katie Ledecky’s 800 short course free record back in October, Pallister will look to continue her good form as she looks to improve upon her PB of 3:58.87 from Worlds last season. Brazil’s Maria Costa is the 2nd seed, but as a visiting swimmer is barred from the final so look for Amelia Weber, Molly Walker, and Jenna Forrester (in a tough double) to try to surround Pallister in the final and get under the qualifying standard, of which only Pallister is seeded under.

Men’s 400 Freestyle – Prelims

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

Top 8:

1. Samuel Short (RACKL) – 3:45.17
2. Elijah Winnington (STPET) – 3:46.77
3. Bejamin Goedemans (STPET) – 3:47.25
4. Woomin Kim (V) (KOR) – 3:47.86
5. Alec Mander (SSPW) – 3:48.13
6. Tex Cross (HLDR) – 3:48.49
7. Thomas Neill (RACKL) – 3:48.93
8. Matthew Galea (STPET) – 3:49.56
9. Charlie Hawke (RACKL) – 3:49.68

With an open lane to one side of him as New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt was a no show in the first heat, (remember Australian Trials is swum fast to slow) Sam Short showed off his dominance in the event as he opened up a body length lead quickly and was first to both the 100 and 200 wall hitting the halfway point in 1:48.57, 1.85 seconds ahead of his Olympic and Worlds teammate as well as rival Elijah Winnington.

Short continued to lead over the back half and cruised into the wall in a time of 3:45.17. Short, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion in this event appeared to just fade over the finish as Winnington closed the gap to finish 1.60 back at 3:46.77. Short’s time would have ranked 10th in the world this season had he not already posted a 3:42.53 at April’s Australian Open, which ranks him as the 3rd fastest swimmer in the world. Short is the 4th seed in the 200 free, so may have been using this prelims swim to test out his speed for tomorrow’s 200.

While Short led from start to finish in his heat, the 2nd heat was a much more back and forth affair. Anders McAlpine, a 20-year-old from Griffith University, had a narrow lead over Korea’s Kim Woomin, 1:51.16 to 1:51.28. Woomin, the defending Olympic and World Bronze medalist is ineligible to swim in the A-final tonight, but was looking for a time to make the B-final. Kim, however, was denied the heat win as Benjamin Goedemans came from near the back of the field to win the heat in 3:47.25, just off his season best of 3:47.13 from the Tokyo Open last November. Goedemans, like Short will be looking for a illness free summers as he was a late withdrawal from the 1500 in Singapore last year.

Kim touched half a second back, hitting the wall in 2nd at 3:47.86, ahead of hard charging Alec Mander, whose time of 3:48.13 is just .12 off his entry time.

Women’s 200 Individual Medley – Prelims

• 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 (Griffith University), 2024
• All-Comers Record: 2:06.63 – Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University), 2024
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 2:10.49

Top 8:

1. Ella Ramsay (NUN) – 2:10.70
2. Tara Kinder (MVC) – 2:12.05
3. Jenna Forrester (STPET) – 2:13.52
4. Lexi Harrison (MNLY) – 2:15.28
5. Kayla Hardy (CRUIZ) – 2:15.56
6. Heidi Shumack (SOSC) – 2:16.68
7. Julia Eve Spedding (GUSC) – 2:17.86
8. Alannah Torrance (NUN) – 2:18.13

Perhaps it was a case of Observer Effect, where the fact that we brought attention to Kaylee McKeown‘s 200 IM/50 backstroke double that changed the outcome as McKeown, the reigning Olympic bronze medalist in the event withdrew prior to the start of the race, opening up massive opportunity for several swimmers.

Making the most of that absence was the #2 seed Ella Ramsay and the #3 seed Tara Kinder. Ramsay, a silver medalist from both the Paris Olympics and Singapore World Championships cruised her way to the top time, hitting the wall in a time of 2:10.70. Ramsay, who qualified for the Olympic final in this event, but withdrew due to COVID-19, has already been as fast as 2:09.94 this season and ranks 10th in the world.

Cruising home in a 33.13, Ramsay could be track tonight to better that time from the Australian Open, but Kinder, who stopped the clock at 2:12.05 and Forrester, who won the first heat in McKeown’s absence, at 2:13.52 will each be looking to earn a spot on the roster, although all three will need to ensure they are under the SwimAustralia qualifying time of 2:10.49. Seventeen year old Sienna Toohey, who had a breakout meet last year, was in too much of a hole to use her breaststroke prowess to make the top 8 qualifying 9th in a time of 2:18.15, .02 back of Alannah Torrance in 8th.

Men’s MC 50 Butterfly – Prelims

With the Commonwealth Para team already named, athletes in this event were battling it out for a spot in the final tonight to earn a trip to America to compete at the Para Pan-Pacs. Leading the way into the final with 696 point was 21-year-old Lewis Bishop, an S9 athlete, who hit the wall in 27.93. Just three points back was S10 swimmer Alex Saffy who touched in 26.70, .07 ahead of Tom Gallagher.

Women’s MC 50 Butterfly – Prelims

With just nine competitors, all but one swimmer was guaranteed to advance into tonight’s final, but top seeded Kael Thompson didn’t appear to hold anything back as she blasted her way to a 30.54 time, scoring 847 points. The S14 USC Spartans swimmer, is clear of the field by nearly 300 points as Jordan Berryman and Sarah Howe earned 567 and 565 points thanks to their 39.87 and 32.61 swims in the S7 and and S10 classifications.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Prelims

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

Top 8:

1. Sam Williamson (MVC) – 59.11
2. Joshua Collett (BOND) – 1:00.76
3. Joshua Anderson (BGRAM) – 1:00.79
4. Bailey Lello (STPET) – 1:00.96
5. Gideon Burnes (BOND) – 1:00.97
6. Zac Stubblety-Cook (NUN) – 1:01.04
7. Joshua Yong (HLDR) – 1:01.06
8. Nash Wilkes (GUSC) – 1:01.09

Certainly no one told Sam Williamson about Australia’s struggles in the 100 breaststroke, as the 28-year-old popped off this morning hitting the wall in 59.11. The All-Comers record holder (fastest swim in Australia) attacked the race from the get-go using a strong start to power his way to the first wall in 27.25, a split that not only was the lone result under 28.00, but a full second clear of the rest of the field. Coming home in 31.86, the fastest last 50 and just one of two under 32, Williamson’s time clocks in as the 7th (tied) fastest time in the world this season, and ranks second among nation’s competing at Commonwealths, trailing only Adam Peaty.

Williamson will need to ensure that he is under the qualifying time of 59.39 tonight and Joshua Collett and Joshua Anderson will be looking to join him there. The pair will have their work cut-out for them as the pair were just 1:00.76 and 1:00.79 this morning.

Zac Stubblety-Cook, who recently left his training program, which is under the stewardship of Adam Peaty’s former coach Mel Marshall, was out in his trademark long stroke, hitting the wall in 29.11, the only split in the top eight above 29.00, but used his 200 breaststroke prowess to come home in 31.93 to finish 6th overall at 1:01.04.

Women’s 400 Freestyle – Prelims

• 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 (St Peters Western), 2023
• All-Comers Record: 3:55.44 – Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western), 2024
• SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 4:06.75