Australian All-Time SCM Rankings Rewritten After September’s Australian SCM Championships

Here is a dive into some of the best individual performances at the recent Australian Short Course Championships. Some new faces to watch out for at the World Aquatics events, starting this week.  

The Australian SCM Championships held last month produced some outstanding swims particularly when viewed in the light of movement in the Aussie all-time individual top ten rankings.  

The corresponding meet in 2023 held in Sydney hardly caused a ripple on the all-time rankings.  However, despite the post-Olympic timing, where many top athletes chose to take a break from domestic competition, the State Aquatic Centre in Adelaide lived up to its name as the fastest pool in Australia.

Making a very strong statement at the meet was 21-year-old Tara Kinder from Melbourne Vicentre taking out four events, and all under World Championships qualifying time. A promising teenage breaststroker, she was selected in the Junior Pan Pacs 2018 and Junior Worlds 2019, but a combination of a change in routine after leaving school and the COVID-19 lockdown, led her to take an indefinite timeout. In 2023, she returned to her home pool to compete at the World Championships Trials with just six weeks of training, “just for fun”. Fast forward 12 months, Kinder used a disappointing Olympic Trials as motivation to step up. “It just all sort of fell into place (this week) and I’ve never felt so relaxed at a swim meet,” she told Swimswam.   

Her impressive time of 2:18.25 200 breaststroke shot her to 2nd all-time behind the former world record-holder Leisel Jones. In the 100, she posted her name in 10th place with a 1:05.23. In the individual medley, she entered both 200 and 400 lists in 5th place, with times of 2:06.87 and 4:29.78 respectively.             

Another eye-catching performance on the men’s side came from unheralded Brisbane 19-year-old Edward Sommerville. His win in the 200 freestyle, clocking 1:40.61, took down the nine-year-old national record held by four-time Olympian Cameron McEvoy. Taking second in a PR 1:41.39 (4th all-time) was Paris Olympic medalist Max Giuliani, who by his own admission had not seen much of the pool since picking up the bronze medal in the 4×200 relay. Sommerville’s front-end speed was also on show when he took out the 100 freestyle in 46.84 to join the Aussie all-time best in tenth place. 

Breaststroke specialist Joshua Yong showed little sign of post-Olympic celebrations and clocked a National record 56.76 in the 100 and a 3rd all-time 2:03.56 in the 200. Expect to see the 20-year-old West Australian continue to grow in confidence and stature in the coming weeks. Indeed, he already lowered the Oceanian records in the 100 and 200 breast at the first stop of the World Cup. 

Joshua Edwards-Smith stepped up with a swift 1:49.14 in the 200 backstroke to enter the all-time list in 2nd place behind recently retired world record-holder Mitch Larkin.  

Returning from her first Olympics, 19-year-old Iona Anderson had an impressive week entering the top ten in four events. In posting 55.79 in the 100 back, it placed her 5th, and 26.08 to 7th in the 50 behind Kaylee McKeown. Add wins in the 200 back, clocking 2:01.80, lifted her to 6th all-time and another in the 100 individual medley (59.12) for 4th all-time. 

Olympic 200 butterfly finalist Lizzy Dekkers clocked 2:03.13 to move to 3rd all-time in her pet event. 

Alex Perkins moved up the butterfly rankings in taking the 50/100 double with a 24.99 (4th) and 55.45 (4th) with rookie Dolphins teammate Lily Price finishing behind her in 25.38 (7th) and 55.57 (5th). Perkins also moved to equal 6th in winning the 50 freestyle with a 23.77.

Another rookie selection for Budapest Bella Grant, posting new bests in the 200 backstroke 2:04.12 (7th all-time) and 200 fly 2:03.85 (6th all-time).  

Dual Olympian Isaac Cooper will be looking to make his mark in the two-lap events in the coming weeks with a 20.81 in the 50 freestyle, to move to 3rd Aussie all-time behind Kyle Chalmers and McEvoy. Cooper also swam a 22.68 heat of the 50 backstroke, not far short of his National record of 22.52.  

Jamie Jack, the brother of Shayna Jack, might be considered a little unlucky to miss the World Championships team with a second place in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events under qualifying time. His heat swim in the 50 saw him go to equal 4th all-time 20.89 and 46.91 in the four-laps. He will have another chance during the World Cup.  

Middle-distance freestyler Lani Pallister was keen to put the disappointment of testing positive for Covid-19 at the Paris Olympics. Although coming home with a gold medal as a member of the 4×200 relay, it impacted her individual events. Clocking 52.73 for 5th all-time effort in the 200 freestyle, she also won the 400 and 800 events in qualifying times for Budapest. Pallister won gold in the 400/800/1500 freestyle events at the 2022 edition in Melbourne.