2024 AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS
- Monday, June 10th – Saturday, June 15th
- Brisbane Aquatic Center – Brisbane, Australia
- Prelims at 11am local/9pm previous day ET; Finals at 7:30pm local/5:30am ET
- LCM (50 meters)
- Swimming Australian Olympic Nomination Criteria
- Meet Central
- Updated Psych Sheet
- Heat Sheets
- Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
- Live Results
- Livestream (VPN Needed)
The 2024 Australian Olympic Trials produced fireworks on day one, with 9 individual swimmers making the cut for this summer’s Games in Paris, France.
Hear what your favorite stars had to say after the night’s action wrapped up from Brisbane, knowing that the competition still has multiple more nights to go.
Ariarne Titmus, Women’s 400m Free Gold Medalist (3:55.44)
“I took it out and I was quite fearless. Trials is a bit of a free shot for me. I don’t have to worry about getting under the qualifying time so if I stuff up I have the luxury that I’d probably still be on the team. So it’s about trying new things.”
Lani Pallister, Women’s 400m Free Silver Medalist (4:02.27)
“I feel like you can’t really put it into words. When I finally told my mom I cried a little bit when Ellie told me that I’m going to become an Olympian, I cried. Going from three years ago where I quit swimming to now where, I get to go to my first Olympics. It’s just incredible.”
“[Becoming an Olympian] Is something I’ve dreamt about every day for the past three years.
“If you hadn’t told me three years ago that I’d be standing here I wouldn’t believe you. I’m not super stoked with the time but I guess just qualifying is really important.
“I pulled up with a head cold three days ago, so honestly just getting through and putting my foot I guess one step in the door and now being on the plane is really exciting.
“I think just getting in every day and not putting pressure on a time or a result really just doing everything you can to be the best that you can….then really just enjoying the journey more than anything has been the greatest thing I’ve learned and the people around me are just amazing.”
Emma McKeon, Women’s 100m Fly Gold Medalist (56.85)
“It definitely takes that little bit of added pressure off, I think knowing I’m going to Paris now.
“I’ve been looking forward to that for three years now. It’s just nice to get it out of the way and be on that [Olympic] team.
“The pressure is always on and Olympic Trials are just crazy. Everyone is always going to be very nervous, so I’m glad I’ve got my first one out of the way.
“I want to be nervous. I think if I wasn’t nervous, I don’t know why I’d be here. It shows me I care, it shows me I’m ready and it gets that adrenaline going for me.
“The highs of the Olympics in Tokyo made me want to do it again. I just felt like I could go faster and I just had more to give both physically and mentally and still love the sport and still, love all the opportunities it’s given me, all the friendships and… all the lessons it’s taught me as well.
“The Olympics is everything I’ve loved and dreamt of and watched since I was a little girl. So it’s definitely not hard to motivate myself when there’s an Olympics there.”
Elijah Winnington, Men’s 400m Free Gold Medalist (3:43.26)
“I think for the past three or four final 400m freestyles we’ve [Sam Short] been on together it’s been like point three or something apart every single time. We always fight and we always race each other… tonight was ultimately about just getting the box ticked and making the [Olympic] team.
“Sam, so much younger than me, and he’s pushing me all the time and like I said, we’re within .2 or .3 of each other every single race we do so. I know when I’m at training, I’m thinking about Sam and making sure I’m pushing myself and I’m sure that Sam does the same.
“I think that’s why Thorpie and Hackett were so good… because they were then pushing each other all the time and they kept making each other better.”
Sam Williamson, Men’s 100m Breast Gold Medalist (58.80)
“I still remember 2016 Olympic trials, back when they had semi finals and I was 17, I missed out on getting a night swim. And then Tokyo’s trials, three years ago now, and missing out on a spot on the team.
“So to come away with that swim… that’s what we’ve been practicing is what we’ve been hoping to execute. To actually be able to execute under that pressure, it puts me in a really good spot moving forward.
“It’s been years… it hasn’t been something I’ve thought about over the last you know, few months, it’s been something I’ve been slowly chipping away at over the last few years. So to finally get it right it’s pretty exciting.
“We’ve got six weeks of work, six weeks to just try and get a right because it’s not a slow time [posted] by any stretch of the imagination, but knowing what some of those guys are throwing down to the rest of the world, there’s still a lot of work we can do.”
Joshua Yong, Men’s 100m Breast Silver Medalist (59.48)
“It’s still surreal, I think. I guess every swimmer that’s [make an Olympics] is why we get into the water every morning to reach this goal, I guess to see it finally come to fruition, it’s surreal.
“I’ve always backed myself. Especially over the past three months, I think after doing more 200m training, trying to utilise my strength at the back end, that’s something I’ve definitely been working on. To see it happen here, I’m very happy.”
Ruby Storm, Women’s Multi-Class 200m Free Gold Medalist
“There’s been ups and downs towards going through it all. But it’s definitely paid off for me [move to St Andrew’s] and I’m training better than ever.
“[The race]was definitely a lot better than what I did this morning. This morning, it was okay, but obviously I knew I could execute the rest of it all, which I thought I did. I wish the time was a tiny bit faster, but that’s okay.
“I was lucky enough to go to Tokyo and win the bronze and silver medal, and I think with Paris I’ve got more experience, I’m training better and hopefully if I do make it I’ll do really well.
“I’ve got a 100m fly tomorrow and then I’m doing every day throughout this competition, which is good because it keeps me busy.”
Brenden Hall, Men’s S9 400m Freestyle
“No one wants to see the old guy win the race, so it is kind of my little stick it to the young guys,” he joked.
“When it comes time for competition that inner mongrel comes out”.
Thanks for these Retta. Interesting.