2026 AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING TRIALS
- Monday, June 8 – Saturday, June 13, 2026
- Sydney, Australia
- Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Commonwealth Selection Criteria
- Pan Pac Selection Criteria
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Stream
- Storylines To Watch
- Live Recaps:
Sam Short Will Need A New Broom After A Pair Of Sweeps This Summer
Three days, three events, three shiny new PBs – Sam Short is loving life in Sydney right now. His in-season swims had generated some high expectations, but this summer now looks as though it will be his best yet.
Short dropped a second from his Australian record in the 800 today, clocking the fastest ever swim in textile at 7:36.73. That is faster than Ahmed Jaouadi’s 7:36.88 from last summer, faster than Ahmed Hafnaoui’s 7:37.00 from 2023, and makes him the red-hot favorite for gold at both Commonwealths and Pan Pacs this summer.
Yet again he was out fast, hitting halfway in 3:45.89, and after his 200 free (1:45.16) and 400 free (3:40.67) swims this week, he has the potential to win four individual medals at each meet.
Four years ago in Birmingham he won 1500 free gold and 400 free silver. With the 800 now added and Dan Wiffen not in 2024 form, a distance free sweep seems on the cards. At Pan Pacs, the 400 seems his to lose, and his only challenger in the 800 and 1500 will be Bobby Finke.
Finke is the 1500 free world record holder. But right now, with the caveat of not having seen a tapered Finke so far this season, there should be short odds on an Aussie sweep.
Winnington Not On Top Form So Far In 2026
Elijah Winnington was a star at the last Commonwealth Games, winning 400 free gold (3:43.06) and 200 free bronze (1:45.62), as well as winning relay gold in the 4×100 free and 4×200 free. He was the reigning world champion in the 400 free as well from earlier in the summer, and seemed set to be a fixture at the top of the 400 free for years to come.
Since then he has been world silver medalist in the 400 free (2024), an Olympic silver medalist in the 400 free (2024), and world short course champion in, you guessed it, the 400 free (2024). But 2025 was a bit of a down year, as he placed 10th in the 400 free in Singapore in 3:46.27, his only event at the 2025 World Championships.
For a swimmer who tends to peak at Australian trials, his results this week have been a bit of a concern. A time of 3:44.17 in the 400 free is more than solid, but it is also the slowest he’s been at Australian Trials since 2019. He was 1:48.48 in the 200 free final (1:47.26 in prelims), and added six seconds in 800 free to place 5th in 7:55.24.
Unfortunately, this looks more like a continuation of last year than an aberration in its own right. With Sam Short (3:40.67) and James Guy (3:44.04) faster than him in the 400 free this season, and swimmers including Ben Goedemans, Dan Wiffen, Jack McMillan, and Tyler Melbourne-Smith ready to play spoiler, Winnington could fail to make the podium in Glasgow next month.
Lani Pallister Making Titmus’ Retirement No Big Deal
Lani Pallister had a huge summer in 2025, dropping multiple seconds in her main events to clock 1:54.77 in the 200 free, 3:58.87 in the 400 free, 8:05.98 in the 800 free and an Oceanian Record of 15:39.14 in the 1500 free. She followed those up with a trio of Oceanian Records in short course in the 400 free (3:51.87), 800 free (7:54.00), and 1500 free (15:13.83), with the 800 being a massive world record as well.
She is the #1 Australian distance freestyle swimmer, and chose the perfect time to explode. Ariarne Titmus‘ retirement in October was a huge loss for Australian mid-distance free – she had been almost unbeatable in the 400 free internationally, and an immensely valuable piece of some incredible 4×200 free relays.
Pallister has stepped up seamlessly. She is faster in both the 800 free and 1500 free than Titmus ever was, including by over six seconds in the 800 free. Her 200 free has been coming down incrementally, but her swim today was a best by over a second. Clocking 1:53.65 makes her the #T-5 swimmer ever, level with Summer McIntosh and behind only her teammate Mollie O’Callaghan among active swimmers.
Beating one of Ledecky or McIntosh this summer may be a year too early for her, but Pallister has the potential to be the distance free star in LA in two years’ time. A swimmer like Titmus only comes along every once in a while. Having a swimmer like Pallister take over that mantle immediately is testament to her talent.
..But Are The U.S. Favorites For The 4×200 Free At Pan Pacs?
However, behind their transcendent front two, Australia are a little shallow in the 200 free. Inez Miller dropped a PB of 1:56.41 for 3rd, but that is a far cry from where the event has been in recent years.
There has been a ton of turnover in the last half decade for Australia. Brianna Throssel, Leah Neale, Emma McKeon, Shayna Jack, Ariarne Titmus, Madi Wilson, Jamie Perkins, and Kiah Melverton are all 1:56.0 swimmers or better who have either retired or were not competing here. Meg Harris (1:57.63) and Abbey Webb (1:58.76) were both significantly slower than their PBs of 1:55.97 and 1:56.09.
O’Callaghan and Pallister give them two of the three best swimmers in the event at this moment in time, and ideal bookends for the 4×200 free relay. But the U.S. could realistically have a full quartet sub-1:55 – Australia only had four swimmers under 1:57 here. After domination since 2022, this could be the first year the pendulum swings back the other way.
Jamie Jack Is The Real Deal
Jamie Jack is the lesser-known of the Jack siblings, but having made his first ever international team with a runner-up finish in the men’s 50 free he has the chance to change that this summer.
He didn’t qualify for worlds last summer, adding time at this meet 12 months ago to place 5th in the 50 free (21.84) and 7th in the 100 free (48.27). This year, he has the monkey off his back in his first event, placing 2nd in the 50 free behind Cam McEvoy to make both the Pan Pacs and Commonwealth squads.
His 21.43 PB in the 50 free came in a time trial at the U.S. Summer Championships last summer, where he won the 50 free proper in 21.63, but his 21.52 swim today was his second-fastest ever. He moves up into the world top ten this season, and should be a real threat to make the podium at both Pan Pacs and Commonwealths.
It’s tough to see more than two swimmers at either meet beating him if he stays in this form, and he stepped up when it counted this year to deliver his fastest swim of the season. The 100 free could see him add yet another event to his schedule, and this year it is a free hit for him. Watch out for him to back up his 47.68 split from a couple of months ago.
I’m confused by the commentary around the 4×2. USA has a massive advantage in that Australia’s focus meet is a week and a half before Pan Pacs, but where are these four 1:54s coming from?
USA had one 1:54 last year, zero so far this year. Their only 1:55 this year is from Moesch who won’t be at Pan Pacs.
I think all four going 1:54 on relay for US is possible maybe not this year but next year and probably at the Olympics
I don’t see the US quartet all sub 1:55.
This. Yes, they haven’t had a Trials-style meet, but a US swimmer hasn’t swum a sub 1:55 yet this season. They are capable of doing it but whether they will is an entirely different matter.
Not a flat start yet this season but in relay it’s possible all of them could go sub 1:55
ok, but our times are also off a flat start, so you can expect our 1:52, 1:53, and 2x 1:56s to be faster too
Yeah I guess so
Would Wiffen even be at the Commonwealth Games? I thought Ireland didn’t participate, although I know he’s technically from NI. Not sure how all that sporting nationality stuff works out for this situation.
If you’re in NI you are allowed to represent NI at the Comm Games and can choose either UK or Ireland for major competitions.
I heard he might only go to pan pacs to rest more
Wiffen? Pan pacs?
Off topic indianpolis pro series psych sheets out. Will be a stacked meet, including UVA and Florida pros
Having a 1:52 kind of evens out the 1:56…I’m struggling to see which American is going to match MOC
i dont think the us needs anyone to match moc / have an historically elite leg, just 4 solid legs. funny enough its kinda how the aussie men have been so consistent in this relay despite not having a podium level leg
aussies could be at 152 153 156 156
us could be at 154 154 154 154
If the US could be 4×154, there is absolutely a chance the Aussies could be 152 153 155 155…if my grandma had wheels etc etc
Yes you don’t necessarily need a star but that relies on the 3rd and 4th Aussie legs underperforming. The actual results in the final weren’t amazing but Castelluzo was faster than she was at trials last year. Last year she went 1:57 at trials and split a 1:55.9 at worlds. Meg was 1:55 flat start in December. Still lots of question marks.
It’s hard to compare flat starts from a single race against relay splits from a year ago. If you compare USA’s 4 best flat starts from the last 3 years, that add up is still more than half a second slower than last night’s top 4. And that’s counting Sims as one of those 4 and she has… Read more »
They still has Erisman, Gemmell,Huske , and Moesch who just did 1:55 and can improved her time
USA won’t have Moesch this year.
Not this year and we still have to see what happens at Pan Pacs cause we don’t have a complete picture of this relay for US cause they don’t have trials this year.