2025 SWIMMING AUSTRALIA OPEN WATER CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, January 23rd – Sunday, January 26th
- Busselton Jetty, Western Australia
- Open Water
- Meet Central
- Start List
The 2025 Swimming Australia Open Water Championships are set to begin on Thursday, January 23rd. The 4-day affair attracts not only emerging and veteran talent from within the host nation but also from Japan, Singapore, Great Britain and beyond.
This year’s edition of the competition serves as a selection meet for the 2025 World Aquatics Open Water World Championships slated for Singapore this July.
The first and second-ranked eligible athletes in both genders who accrue the most points based on the Combined Point Score from this competition and the World Aquatics 10k World Series qualifying event will be selected for the Australian World Championships team.
Key entrants on the men’s side include the trio who landed on the 2024 podium, including winner Thomas Raymond of Noosa, runner-up Robert Bonsall of North Coast and Kazushi Imafuku of Japan.
They’ll be joined by Miami’s Bailey Armstrong and Nick Sloman of Melbourne Vicentre, among others. 28-year-old Sloman was the gold medalist at the 2025 Lorne Pier to Pub open water race over the weekend.
2024 champion Taylor Martin of Carlile leads the women’s pack, with Japan’s Misa Okuzono and North Coast’s Rosie Wilson, last year’s respective silver and bronze medalists, also among the field.
Visiting distance ace Leah Crisp of Great Britain is set to challenge, along with Madeleine Gough, Chelsea Gubecka, Moesha Johnson and Singapore’s Chantal Liew.
Another missed opportunity for the USA Swimming Open Water National Team to attend, get experience and exposure, get out of the pool, and compete in their actual discipline.
Retta, you kind of forgot the biggest threat to all of them in the Women’s race with Italy”s Ginevra Taddeucci entered in both the 10km and 5km races. I also think you can add Jacqueline Davison-McGovern into the discussion, she had a great race in Hong Kong late last year and will no doubt be in contention when it matters most.
Looking like a solid entry list for both Men’s and Women’s races.
Kyle Lee in the Men’s race also.
Kyle Lee is the favourite for 10km + 5km + Relay! Should definitely have been included in this article!!!!
There is no way he’s “the favourite” in all 3 races but he is certainly a main contender and should have been included in discussions. Men’s Openwater has been very competitive among the top 5 athletes here in Australia in recent years, with any of those top 5 having the ability to win on their day, there is no 1 clear favourite any more in my opinion.
Kyle will certainly go 3 from 3! Rumour of a community swim entry is heating up as well! 3 cheers for Kyle!!