Courtesy: Chris Langdon
Australian swimming has a problem between Olympic cycles.
The athletes are extraordinary. The audiences disappear. Cage Race II – TORRENT is one attempt to change that.
In one of the first events of its kind, three Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallists will race alongside emerging talent in a revolutionary mixed-sex sprint series at Miami Aquatic on Friday night — scrapping swimming’s
traditional rules.
Cage Race II – TORRENT is an athlete-led initiative exploring how Australia’s most popular Olympic sport can engage television audiences between Games cycles.
TORRENT fuses: Ten x 50m sprints. Diminishing rest. As the body loads with lactate and muscles begin to fail, what separates athletes is no longer just speed — it is the capacity to tolerate sustained discomfort and hold form. That capacity is individual. Research suggests it also differs between sexes. One sprint favours the fastest. Ten sprints favor the toughest. Men and women race in the same water simultaneously. Separate male and female winners are determined by the fastest aggregated time across all 10 sprints.
But in a format built around accumulated fatigue rather than peak output, women can compete on equal terms — and threaten the field outright.
Lane ropes out. Turbulence in. Anti-wave lane ropes are removed, opening the pool. Swimmers share the water — and the wash.
The 15-metre underwater rule is scrapped. There is no limit on how far a swimmer can dolphin kick while submerged.
Any swimmer can cancel the rest break by calling for a start. The swimmer with the fastest aggregated time across the series wins.
Competitors
- Jamie Jack – World Cup gold medallist and one of Australia’s fastest 50m freestylers.
- William Yang – Commonwealth Games double gold medallist and Olympic silver medallist.
- David Morgan – Dual Olympian and Olympic bronze medallist.
- Grayson Bell – Commonwealth Games finalist and Oceania record holder.
- Mia O’Leary – Australian ‘A’ representative and sprint specialist.
- Wild cards: Sophia Gahan, Charlotte Hinze, Blake Bebendorf, Maddie Howell and Kiera Bell.
The event is directed by Race Director Ed Anderson — former Olympic Trials competitor and coach at Rackley Swimming — and supported by Professor Peter Reaburn, former Head of Exercise and Sports Science at Bond University, award-winning sports scientist and President of Miami Masters Swimming Club.
TORRENT takes place at 6 pm on Feb. 27, immediately after Miami’s Friday Night Club session at Miami Aquatic Centre, Pizzey Park, Miami.
Underwater cameras will be in the water during racing. Media have full pool deck access.
TORRENT is a pilot for a full season of elite independent sprint racing on the Gold Coast, launching in September 2026.
The start list for the NSW state open (6-8 march) has been publishes including some notable names: Mckeown, A.Perkins, Ramsay, Forrester, Wunsh, Fredericks, Jansen, Toohey, Webb, De Lutiis, H.Allan, Stubbletty- Cook, Clareburt, Petric, J.Jack, Taylor, Cooper, Louise Hansson, Sara Junevick
Swimming needs to be reinvented if it wants crowds. Make swimming a big night out!
Up close, skin, betting, fashion, food and beverage
Up close:the crowd needs to be as close as possible to the pool and the swimmers
Skin: the athletes need to wear briefs, no suits.the more skin the better.
Betting: onsite betting nothing over the top but add some interest for the punters
Fashion: catwalk style entertainment, allow the swimmers to dress up, show off fashion on deck and attract sponsors
Food and beverage: make a night of it ! Allow food and beverage on pool deck. Fans, sponsors, tv.
Why not ?
I love every single thing about this format. Will definitely be looking for a way to watch from the US, if not live then at least spoiler-free.
Good luck. Nobody cares.
Maybe they can do SCM alongside different animals and try to race them!! Man vs. Tuna! Man vs. Camel!!!
Whatever. No one other than swimmers are interested in swimming. Do you all sit around looking for 25k races to watch on TV???? This has been going on forever…
Awesome! Swimming needs fresh ideas to keep it interesting. I wish them success.
And for all the snobby, stuck up purists who see no need for change and are maybe offended by this format: Go back and find the video of “Shaq vs.” circa 2010 where they shot a TV show special Shaq trained then raced MP with set time advantages. It was a hoot and a blast to watch. Swimming needs more of this stuff.
Shaq’s was certainly better than Michael Phelps Vs A Shark
Nothing will ever be as good as Kobayashi vs a Bear in an eating contest though haha
https://youtu.be/HgqbCq_sxmo?si=5x6VSZ3VdDibwK8C
Super cool idea!!