2026 NEW SOUTH WALES STATE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Friday, March 6th – Sunday, March 8th
- Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC)
- Meet Central
- Start List
The 2026 New South Wales State Open Championships are set to begin on Friday, March 6th with a robust lineup of domestic and foreign talent set to take to the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC) pool.
While not a selection meet itself, the competition represents a tune-up opportunity for Aussie swimmers ahead of June’s all-important Commonwealth Games Trials.
24-year-old Olympic multi-gold medalist Kaylee McKeown headlines the women’s entries, with the versatile ace taking on the 50m/100m/200m back races in addition to the 200m IM.
As a refresher, it was at the 2023 edition of these championships where the USC Spartan fired off a monster time of 2:03.14 in the 200m backstroke to set the world record which remains on the books today.
Iona Anderson will challenge McKeown in the backstroke events, with the two-time 2025 World Championships medalist entered in the same trio of events as well as the women’s 50m freestyle.
Ella Ramsay, Tara Kinder, Jenna Forrester and Sienna Toohey are also among those to watch on the women’s side of the house.
As for the men, Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook will see Sam Williamson in the men’s breaststroke field, with the latter continuing on his racing comeback since having to withdraw from last year’s championship season due to a knee injury.
Williamson has already raced this year, putting up solid performances at last month’s Victorian Open Championships.
New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt, Japan’s Ai Soma and Sweden’s Louise Hansson and Sara Junevik are among the non-Australians set to add some international flair to the three-day affair.
Key Entrants
- Albury – Sienna Toohey
- Bendigo East – Henry Allan
- Bond – Joshua Collett, Milla Jansen
- Carlile – Olivia Wunsch
- Cranbrook – Marcus Da Silva
- Griffith University – Hayley Mackinder, Ella Ramsay, Enoch Robb, Zac Stubblety-Cook
- Highlanders – Iona Anderson
- Ireland – Victoria Catterson, Darragh Greene
- Japan – Ai Soma
- Melbourne Vicentre – Tara Kinder, Lily Koch, Sam Williamson
- MLC Aquatic – David Schlicht
- Nunawading – Isabella Boyd, Lewis Clareburt (NZL), William Petric
- Queensland – Leny Grigor
- SOPAC – Se-Bom Lee
- St. Andrew’s – Jack Carr, Isaac Cooper
- St. Peters Western – Jenna Forrester, Hannah Fredricks, Matthew Galea, Benjamin Goedemans, Jamie Jack, Kai Taylor
- Sweden – Louise Hansson, Sara Junevik
- Sydney University – William Yang
- USC Spartans – Kaylee McKeown, Thomas Nowakowski, Alexandria Perkins
Anyone know why Toohey was DQ’d in the 100 breast heats?
McKeown with a 2:11:53 in the heat (30:38, 33:60, 33:55, 34:00). Didn’t get out of first gear.
Looking forward to the 100 free final tonight too. Looks like DeLuitis has moved to Carlisle to train with Wunsch. Perkins, Jansen and Webb join them in the final. Will be interesting to compare where they are at to the US women at this point in the season.
2:05.08 in final
Other random Aussie news: Milla Jansen has moved to SPW.
McKeown told Channel 9 that she continues to struggle with injuries more and more as she gets older, but she still wants that 100 back record.
Damn, hopefully she can remain healthy
200IM for Kaylee woohoo!, will this be the first since Paris Olympics?
She swum one last year too but I reckon she’ll swim it at Comm Games this year.
She swam one round of it at the Australian Open last year. 2:08.58.
Sub 55 for Alex Perkins in 100 fly
Don’t forget about Alex Perkins – muti World medalist – as someone to watch in Butterfly.
Unfortunately the 16yo breaststroke showdown of Montana vs. Grigor isn’t quite happening this meet: Montana has only opted for 50 BR while Grigor is doing everything else including 100/200BR and 200/400IM
last year she went 27.06 in prelims of 50 back 2.04.57 in 200 and 57.73 in 100 back. 57.4 in 100 seems realistic and probably a 26.9 in 50 back and a 2.03.8 in 200 back.
These times seem a little optimistic for me but you seem to get Kaylee’s time predictions right every time! Suppose we will see