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:
On Friday, Sam Short won the 1500 freestyle, his 4th and final event of the 2026 Australian Swimming Trials. This was not only his 4th event of the meet, but was also his 4th event win of the meet, marking a clean sweep of the 200, 400, 800, and 1500 freestyle events. With this win, he becomes the first man since Grant Hackett in 2005 to accomplish this feat.
On top of sweeping the distance events, Short also set a new textile world record in the 800 freestyle, stopping the clock in 7:36.73 to become the fastest male swimmer since the end of the super suit era in 2009.
He also set the 5th fastest time in history in the men’s 400 freestyle of 3:40.67, picking up the fastest time in the world this season, and moved up to #4 this season in the 1500 and #6 in the world this season in the 200.
Short posted about his meet on Instagram, revealing that he has shifted his focus events recently with the 1500 outside his target these days, and he said it was “good to see” that he’s still “got it”. This shift is clearly working well for Short, as even without his full focus on the event, he still set one of the top times in the world this year.
Short is the latest in a long line of Australian freestylers that have long been at the top of the world rankings, and he seemed like the heir apparent to the Australian freestyle throne. Hackett was the most in-line with Short’s events, and won the 400, 800, and 1500 freestyle at the 2005 World Championships, the same summer he won all four events at the Australian Trials.
Ian Thorpe is another Australian freestyle legend, though he focused more on the middle-distance events of the 200 and 400 free, but is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, male middle distance freestylers of all time.
Most recently, the Aussies had Mack Horton filling those shoes, winning Olympic gold in the 400 freestyle back in 2016, along with a host of other medals in the 800 and 1500 freestyle events during his senior career.
Short’s performance at this meet feels like it has been a long time coming for those familiar with his journey. At the World Championships in 2023, Short won the 400 freestyle in a time of 3:40.68. He also won the silver medal in the 800 free (7:37.76) and the bronze medal in the 1500 free (14:37.28). All three of those swims were his lifetime best times until this weekend.
In 2024, Short finished 2nd in the 400 and 800 freestyle at the Australian Trials and had to scratch the 1500 due to illness. He was still able to participate in all three events at the Games, but his highest finish was 4th in the 400 freestyle (3:42.64) and he failed to make the 800 (7:46.83) or 1500 (14:58.15) final entirely.
Later, Short called the performance a “failure”, stating “A combination of illnesses and injuries ultimately derailed my year heading into trials and the games [sic]”. He also said he would be taking a long break to undergo shoulder rehab before the 2025 season.
At the 2025 Trials, Short won the 400 (3:41.03), 800 (7:40.95), and 1500 (14:52.43) freestyle events, all with times faster than he swam at the 2024 Olympics, and he seemed primed to return to his 2023 form at the 2025 World Championships.
In Singapore, however, Short became one of the victims of the infamous “illness” that spread around the meet, which led to him scratching the 800 free final after he finished 2nd in the prelims. He still raced the 400 free, finishing 2nd in 3:42.37, and the 1500 free, finishing 4th in 14:43.08, but these swims were still not up to the standard many expected to see from him.
With his breakthrough at the Australian Trials this year, there will be a lot of eyes on him for the Commonwealth Games and the Pan-Pacific Championships as he tries to stay healthy and potentially break a few world records.
I’d love to see the time comparisons. Short was definitely faster in the 200/400/800 but I think Hackett’s 2005 time in the 1500 might have been faster.
Hackett was 14:44 at the trials and 14:42.58 at the worlds.
His PB of course was 14:34.56 from Fukuoka.
This guy flunks at the big dance
He’s won 4 individual medals at the world championships. One of them gold.
He was injured and had illness before Paris, disrupting his training.
He had gastroenteritis (thanks to American swimmers who spread the disease) during Singapore, and yet she won 400 silver and a respectable 14:43 in 1500, but he had to scratch 800, the event where he was a favorite to win.
How can you say he flunks at the big dance when he was healthy in 2023 Fukuoka and won 400 gold, 800 silver, and 1500 bronze.
I don’t know about a few… maybe the 400 free, but the 800, 200, and 1500 are HIGHLY unlikely.
He (or no one else in the next decade for that matter) won’t break 800 WR
But at least Short broke 800 textile WR