Athletes to Watch at the 2026 Australian Age Championships

2026 Australian Age Championships

• April 11-18, 2026
• Gold Coast Aquatic Centre
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• Heat Sheets

With the 2026 Australian Age Championships kicking off tomorrow, SwimSwam is taking a look at a few of the young swimmers to watch over the next eight days.

Girls

While Sienna Toohey, 17, did not burst onto the scene at the Australian Open Championships this year, she is one of the highlights of the Age Championships. She set a new Age record in the 50 breaststroke on the final day of competition.

Toohey is one of the top rising breaststrokers in Australia and will be racing the 200 IM, 100 breast, and 100 free this week.

16-year-old Lilla Ribot-de-Bresac will be racing six events. She is the top seed in the 15-16 50 breast (31.85), 100 breast (1:08.28), and 200 breast (2:29.13), and she is entered in the 50 free, 50 fly, and 100 fly.

Ribot-de-Bresac won the 100 and 200 breaststroke events at last year’s meet, and she will be chasing the 16-year-old titles and Toohey’s age records this year.

Heidi Shumack and Macey Sheridan are also swimmers to watch this week. Shumack, 16, is the top seed in the 100 back, 200 back, 50 fly, 200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM, and Sheridan, 16, is seeded 1st in the 100 free, 200 free, and 50 back.

Molly Young will be swimming her first Australian Age Championships as a 13-year-old and is coming into the meet as the top seed in four different 13-14 events.

She is seeded 1st in the 200 free (2:07.16), 400 free (4:20.86), 800 free (8:58.63), 1500 free (17:11.72), and is also entered in the 100 free, 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM.

Charlotte Lim, 14, also has four top seeded events with the 100 back, 200 back, 200 IM, and 400 IM.

Boys

He did not swim at the Australian Open Championships, but Henry Allan is one of the top age group swimmers in Australia and he is racing five events this week. He will be the top seed in the 50, 100, and 200 back. He is also swimming the 50 free and the 200 free.

Allan is 17, and will only have one more Age Championship meet after this one.

Ariel Muchirahondo is also the top seed in three of his six events. The 17-year-old is the top seed in the 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM and is also swimming the 200 free, 400 free, and 200 breast.

Leny Grigor, 16, is one of the swimmers who raced at the Australian Open last week. This week, he is entered in seven events and is the top seed in four of them: the 200 breast, 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM. He will also be swimming the 100 free, 50 breast, and 100 breast.

Lincoln Wearing, 16, is one of the top distance swimmers at the meet, and he will be the top seed in the 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, 1500 free; he is also swimming the 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM.

In the 13-14 events, Thomas Penny, 14, is coming into the meet with four top seeds in the 200 back, 200 fly, 200 IM, and the 400 IM. He is entered in 13 events total and will also be racing the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, 50 back, 100 back, 50 fly, and 100 fly.

The meet will run eight days, starting Saturday, April 11th and will finish on Saturday, April 18th.