2026 AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING TRIALS
- Monday, June 8 – Saturday, June 13, 2026
- Sydney, Australia
- Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
The 2026 Australian Swimming Trials are nearly upon us, with action kicking off Monday, June 8th from the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
The six-day competition represents the primary qualification opportunity for Aussie stars to add their names to the nation’s Pan Pacific Championships and Commonwealth Games rosters.
Although it’s a Trials meet, the competition is open to non-Australians and South Korea is taking full advantage of the chance to take on some of the world’s best swimmers, even knowing that foreign athletes cannot advance to the A-final of any event. They can, however, swim in the B-finals.
Nine Koreans, including world champion Hwang Sunwoo and Olympic medalist Kim Woomin, will be participating at the Trials as preparation for the prestigious Asian Games slated for this Fall.
Hwang, who earned six medals at the last edition of the Asian Games in 2023, stated this week that, ““It will be a good first test before the Asian Games.
“We did well as a team in Hangzhou, but swimmers from China and Japan have been on the rise lately.
“We have to prepare hard to perform as well as we did in Hangzhou.” (Yonhap)
Hwang owns the Asian record in his signature 200m freestyle, courtesy of the 1:43.92 he produced at the Korean National Sports Festival last September. That ranks the 23-year-old as the 7th-fastest man in history in the race.
“I would love to reach the top of the podium again in the 200-meter freestyle,” he said. “I gained a lot of confidence from setting the Asian record last year. My biggest goal is to break that record at the Asian Games.” (Yonhap)
Next week he’s scheduled to battle against teammates Kim Woomin and Kim Youngbeom, but some hefty Dolphin talent including Ed Sommerville, Sam Short, Flynn Southam and Maximillian Giuliani.
Many of the same characters will be part of the 100m freestyle show as well, while Ji Yuchan will get a chance to take on newly minted World Record holder Cameron McEvoy in the 50m freestyle.
As for 400m free bronze medalist Kim Woomin, the 24-year-old is entered in an ‘off’ event of the 100m backstroke, a discipline in which he hasn’t competed since 2023. He said doing a backstroke race is part of his preparation for a tight competition schedule at the Asian Games.
“I am taking it seriously,” he said. “I haven’t done much training, but I will try to post a good time. I will try to fix whatever needs to be fixed over the next 100 days and try to be perfect at the Asian Games.”
South Korea placed 2nd in the overall swimming medal table at the 2023 Asian Games, highlighted by a historic victory in the men’s 4x200m free relay.
