2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN
- Monday, April 6th – Wednesday, April 8th
- Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Southport, Queensland, Australia
- Prelims M 9am local (7pm ET previous night)/Finals at 6pm local (4am ET)
- LCM (50m)
- SwimSwam Preview #1
- SwimSwam Preview #2
- Meet Central
- Start List
- Day 1 Recap
- Live Results
- Livestream (Aussie only or use VPN)
The 2026 Australian Open may not be a selection meet for the competitors but that didn’t stop Kiwi swimmer Lewis Clareburt from delivering a new national record in the men’s 200m freestyle.
Racing in the final of the event on night two at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, 26-year-old Clareburt fired off a lifetime best of 1:45.57 to destroy his previous New Zealand standard of 1:47.03. That former effort was put up just last December at the 2025 Queensland Championships.
Tonight Clareburt beat Aussies Edward Sommerville and Kai Taylor, who were relegated to the minor medals. The former logged 1:46.08 to the latter’s 1:46.67.
As for Clareburt, the Commonwealth Games champion and Olympic finalist entirely skipped the 1:46 zone and delved right into the 1:45 territory en route to ranking 9th in the world this season.
2025-2026 LCM Men 200 FREE
SUNWOO
1:43.92
| 2 | Luke Hobson | USA | 1:44.49 | 12/05 |
| 3 | Zhang Zhanshuo | CHN | 1:44.53 | 03/19 |
| 4 | Matthew Richards | GBR | 1:44.77 | 04/19 |
| 5 | Tatsuya Murasa | JPN | 1:45.15 | 03/20 |
| 6 | Samuel SHORT | AUS | 1:45.16 | 06/09 |
| 7 | Lukas MÄRTENS | GER | 1:45.22 | 03/19 |
| 8 | Kai James Taylor | AUS | 1:45.30 | 06/09 |
| 9 | Edward Sommerville | AUS | 1:45.34 | 11/28 |
| 10 | James Guy | GBR | 1:45.38 | 04/19 |
Split Comparison
| Clareburt’s Old NZL Record – 1:47.03 | Clareburt’s New NZL Record – 1:45.57 |
| 25.22 | 24.87 |
| 26.85 (52.07) | 26.57 (51.44) |
| 27.45 | 27.22 |
| 27.51 | 26.91 |
Clareburt has been on a record-breaking tear over the past two years, now owning six individual national marks across both LCM and SCM. He moved his training base to Nunawading instead of his native New Zealand.
Clareburt’s NZL Records
- LCM 200 free – 1:45.57 2026
- LCM 400 free – 3:46.85, 2024
- LCM 200 IM – 1:57.06, 2025
- LCM 400 IM – 4:08.70, 2022
- SCM 200 free – 1:43.21, 2024
- SCM 400 IM – 4:03.66, 2025
Very cool to see Mr Clareburt in great form this week!
Swimming New Zealand’s ‘A’ qualifying time for the Commonwealth Games is 1:45:45! I mean, ambition is great, but setting a qualifying time faster than the old national record seems to defy logic.
The move to Melbourne to same squad as rising William Petric is doing Clareburt well (Petric too).
Both setting big PBs 200Free recently, and neck and neck in all IM races this year.
Both fairly even IM’s with only minor stroke strengths/weakness. Intense racing every day at training!
He will get the 200 fly soon..Think its 1.54 something
He has very quietly had an awesome career. 2x LC World Champs medallist (including gold in Doha), 2x Commonwealth champion, held Kiwi NRs from 100fr to 400im, broke Loaders long standing 400fr record – Underrated athlete.
this competiton is a selection meet for new zealanders and so now clareburt has qualified for five events for pan pacs