2026 Australian Swimming Trials: Day 6 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 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
• Day 6 Finals Heat Sheet

Welcome to the final session of the 2026 Australian Swimming Trials, which will start with the shortest event on the schedule in the women’s 50 free, and end with the longest in the women’s 1500 free.

There is, perhaps unsurprisingly, no crossover between the two finals, but Lani Pallister will be going for her fourth medal of the week in the latter while Meg Harris, 2025 world champion, will be aiming to fight past prelims leader Shayna Jack in the former.

Pallister clocked a new Australian, Oceanian, and Commonwealth record of 15:39.14 in the 1500 last one, one of several marquee swims for her in 2025, although if her tactics this week are anything to go by we are in for a blazing first half of the race from her. She was less than five seconds off her best at the Australia Open Championships two months ago, clocking 15:44.07 for her third-fastest swim ever.

Shayna Jack leapfrogged Meg Harris in the 50 free world rankings with a 24.45 to lead the heats this morning ahead of Harris’ 24.61, although Harris was 24.48 at the Queensland Championships in December. Both women qualified for the Commonwealth team in the 100 free yesterday, clocking 52.93  and 52.63 respectively.

Between those two events, we will have the men’s and women’s MC 100 free, the men’s and women’s 400 IM, and the men’s 50 fly.

• Day 6 Finals Heat Sheet

Ben Armbruster made a statement in the latter of those this morning, breaking 23 seconds to lead prelims in 22.96 ahead of top seed Kyle Chalmers, who clocked 23.15. Isaac Cooper (23.39), 50 free world record holder Cam McEvoy (23.48), and 100 fly Australian record holder Matt Temple (23.57) make this an eye-catching final.

William Petric has the IM double in his sights as the top seed into the men’s 400 IM final in 4:15.14, three seconds ahead of Thomas Neill‘s 4:18.41. Petric clocked 4:10.20 in April, which ranks him 7th in the world so far this season and is under the 4:13.59 qualifying time for Commonwealths and Pan Pacs this summer.

Ella Ramsay will look to do the same for the women, having won the 200 IM in 2:09.07 on day 1. She doubled up on Monday with a 4:04.30 in the 400 free, and her 4:32.30 PB could be in danger. She led the heats by more than six seconds in 4:41.56 despite shutting it down early. Second seed Tara Kinder has taken silver behind Ramsay twice so far this week, in the 200 IM and 200 breast, and could make it a trio of podiums for her this week.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE  – FINAL

• World Record: 23.61, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 2023
• Commonwealth Record: 23.78, Cate Campbell (AUS) – 2018
• Australian Record: 23.78, Cate Campbell – 2018
• All Comers Record: 23.78, Cate Campbell (AUS) – 2018
• SA Qualifying Time: 24.45

‘A’ Final

1. Meg Harris – 24.08
2. Shayna Jack – 24.37
3. Alexandria Perkins – 24.63
4. Olivia Wunsch – 24.88
5. Hannah Casey – 24.95
6. Sienna Walo – 25.02 (TIE)
7. Milla Jansen – 25.02 (TIE)
8. Chloe Rowe-Hagans – 25.09

24-year-old Meg Harris popped the fastest time in the world this year, winning the women’s 50 free in 24.08. It was a spectacular race out of Harris, who holds a career best of 23.97, which she set at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Harris, who was the world champion in this event last year, was also well under the SA qualifying time of 24.45.

Shayna Jack, who led prelims this morning with a 24.45, came in 2nd in tonight’s final with a 24.37. That marks a season best for Jack, as well as the 11th-fastest time in the world this year. The 27-year-old holds a career best of 23.99, which she swam at the 2024 Australian Olympic Trials. Jack was also under the SA qualifying time of 24.45.

Alexandria Perkins came in 3rd with a 24.63, a season best. Perkins now ranks 21st in the world this year.

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE MC – FINAL

Top 3

1. Chloe Osborn – 1:11.49 (862 MCPS)
2. Lakeisha Patterson – 1:03.14 (811 MCPS)
3. Emily Beecroft – 1:04.36 (766 MCPS)

22-year-old Chloe Osborn led the way in the women’s 100 free multi-class final tonight. Osborn clocked a 1:11.49, which wasn’t the fastest time in the field, however, it resulted in the highest amount of points in the MCPS. Keep in mind, para swimming isn’t scored strictly by time. Instead, there is a scoring system (MCPS), which generates a score based on how close the swimmer is the the World Record for their class of para swimming.

Lakeisha Patterson clocked the fastest time in the field tonight, a 1:03.14. Patterson wound up 2nd in scoring, earning a score of 811 to Osborn’s 862.

Emily Beecroft rounded out the top 3 with a score of 766. Her final time was 1:04.36.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE MC – FINAL

Top 3

1. Callum Simpson – 56.86 (947 MCPS)
2. Tom Gallagher – 52.08 (919 MCPS)
3. Rowan Crothers – 52.13 (917 MCPS)

Callum Simpson claimed victory in the men’s 100 free multi-class final tonight. His time of 56.86 resulted in 947 points, earning him the victory.

Tom Gallagher came in 2nd with a 52.08, which was the fastest time in the field. Rowan Crothers rounded out the top 3 with a 52.13.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• World Record: 4:02.50, Leon Marchand (FRA) – 2023
• Commonwealth Record: 4:08.70, Lewis Clareburt (NZL) – 2022
• Australian Record: 4:09.27, Brendon Smith– 2021
• All Comers Record: 4:06,22, Michael Phelps (USA) – 2007
• SA Qualifying Time: 4:13.59

‘A’ Final

1. William Petric – 4:11.04
2. Brendon Smith – 4:12.70
3. Se-Bom Lee – 4:13.00
4. Thomas Neill – 4:15.55
5. Samuel Higgs – 4:17.75
6. Andre Labara – 4:22.35
7. Cameron Ricchini – 4:22.63
8. Cael Eley – 4:25.27

21-year-old William Petric won the men’s 400 IM final tonight with a 4:11.04. The swim was a touch off his season best of 4:10.20, which he set at the Australian Open in April and stands as his career best as well. Petric swam a balanced race tonight, splitting 56.60 on fly, 1:05.24 on back, 1:10.11 on breast, and 59.09 on freestyle. He was also under the SA qualifying time of 4:13.59. Petric’s season best of 4:10.20 stands at 7th in the world this year.

25-year-old Brendon Smith clocked a 4:12.70 to finish 2nd tonight. His performance marks a new season best, and lifts him up to 13th in the world this year. Smith holds a career best of 4:09.27, which he swam at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. That time also stands as the Oceanic Record in the event.

Se-Bom Lee rounded out the top 3, swimming a 4:13.00, which now ranks him 13th in the world this year. Lee was particularly strong on the backstroke leg tonight, splitting a 1:04.13 on that 100.

Petric, Smith, and Lee were all under the SA qualifying time in the event.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• World Record: 4:23.65, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2025
• Commonwealth Record: 4:23.65, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2025
• Australian Record: 4:28.22, Kaylee McKeown – 2024
• All Comers Record: 4:28.22, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2024
• SA Qualifying Time: 4:38.31

‘A’ Final

1. Jenna Forrester – 4:31.47
2. Ella Ramsay – 4:39.23
3. Tara Kinder – 4:41.16
4. Amelie Smith – 4:42.62
5. Kayla Hardy – 4:44.69
6. Lexi Harrison – 4:46.79
7. Julia Spedding – 4:48.31
8. Elizabeth Dekkers – 4:50.91

22-year-old Jenna Forrester ripped a new career best en route to dominating the women’s 400 IM final tonight. Forrester clocked a 4:31.47, taking a second off her previous best. Forrester was excellent throughout the race, splitting 1:01.89 on fly, 1:08.18 on back, 1:17.86 on breast, and 1:03.53 on free. Her time tonight marks the 2nd-fastest time in the world this year, only behind Summer McIntosh‘s 4:27.31 from a little over a week ago.

Ella Ramsay came in 2nd tonight with a 4:39.23, but was about a second off the SA qualifying time of 4:38.31. Ramsay was very strong on the breaststroke leg, splitting 1:17.40.

Tara Kinder came in 3rd tonight with a 4:41.16.

MEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 22.22, Andrii Govorov (UKR) – 2018
• Commonwealth Record: 22.68, Ilya Kharun (CAN) – 2025
• Australian Record: 22.73, Matt Targett– 2009
• All Comers Record: 22.77, Kyle Chalmers (AUS) – 2026
• SA Qualifying Time: 22.91

‘A’ Final

1. Ben Armbruster – 22.90
2. Cam McEvoy – 22.92
3. Kyle Chalmers – 22.97
4. Isaac Cooper – 23.27
5. Matt Temple – 23.34
6. Joseph Hanson – 23.53
7. Thomas Navikonis – 23.97
8. Jack Carr – 24.00

Ben Armbruster knows six hundredths of a second off his best tonight to storm home for the win, dipping under the qualifying time for this summer by a single hundredth.

Having missed his finish slightly on the 100 fly earlier in the week, he absolutely nailed it tonight to out-touch a pair of Olympic champions in Cam McEvoy and Kyle Chalmers. McEvoy broke 23 seconds for the first time as he placed 2nd in 22.92, while Chalmers was two tenths off the 22.77 he clocked in April.

Armbruster moves up to 6th in the world rankings with his swim tonight, and cements his spot on the Pan Pac and Commonwealth teams. McEvoy now sits in 7th, and with Chalmers sitting 3rd there are three Australians in the top seven.

Isaac Cooper was just off his 2024 best of 23.12 in 4th, while Matt Temple sliced 0.06 seconds off his PB from 2023 with a 23.34 for 5th.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 15:20.48, Katie Ledecky (USA) – 2018
• Commonwealth Record: 15:39.14, Lani Pallister (AUS)– 2025
• Australian Record: 15:39.14, Lani Pallister– 2025
• All Comers Record: 15:39.14, Lani Pallister (AUS)– 2025
• SA Qualifying Time: 16:08.19

Top Eight 

1. Lani Pallister – 15:40.01
2. Tiana Kritzinger – 16:10.59
3. Molly Walker – 16:13.59
4. Davidson-McGovern – 16:37.07
5. Tayla Martin – 16:43.05
6. Georgie Roper – 16:49.60
7. Molly Young – 17:05.47
8. Dakoda Mathers – 17:07.22

Lani Pallister polished off her first test under supercoach Dean Boxall with a win in the women’s 1500 free to wrap the Australian Trials.

Her 15:40.01 is the second-best time of her career, about a second behind her time at last year’s Australian Trials. It was also about a second faster than her bronze medal time at last year’s World Championships.

While she also had a 1500 bronze from the 2022 World Championships, her 2025 season was a substantial levelling up in this event. She dropped from a 15:48.9 to a 15:39.1, and so far under Boxall she seems to be continuing her quality in this event.

She touched roughly 30 seconds ahead of Tiana Kritzinger, who was 2nd in 16:10.59, with Molly Walker finishing 3rd in 16:13.59. Kritzinger and Walker finished in the opposite order in the 800.

That time for Kritzinger was a five-and-a-half second improvement on her best form last year’s Trials. Walker also dropped a best time.