Aussie stars testing the waters at Australian Open

For Australia’s finest and brightest swimmers, the Australian Open competitors on the Gold Coast this week is a time to experiment. 

Australian swimmers do not come a lot brighter or higher than Molly O’Callaghan, who flew down the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre to assert a cushty victory within the ladies’s 100m free on Monday evening.

The 22-year-old, five-time Olympic champion was the one lady to swim sub-53 seconds, cruising to a 52.66 forward of Meg Harris (53.36) and 19-year-old rising star Olivia Wunsch (53.58).

However for O’Callaghan, the time was not essential, extra a stepping stone for a busy 2026, the place the Dolphins will compete in Irvine, California on the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships from August 12-15 only a fortnight after the Glasgow Commonwealth Video games from July 24-29.

“Coming off China [the China Open last month], it’s kind of of a studying curve,” O’Callghan instructed Channel 9.

“A fast change spherical, however that is follow for Commies [Commonwealth Games] into Pan Pacs. 

“So in the mean time I am simply making an attempt to discover ways to excellent it in-season.”

Shayna Jack was fourth (53.92) and Alex Perkins fifth (53.97) to underline the power in depth of Australian ladies’s dash freestyle swimming.

Australia gained the 4x100m freestyle relay on the Paris Olympics by over a second and are the present world file holders.

“I believe all of us push one another on the finish of the day,” O’Callaghan mentioned. 

“Once I enhance, another person watches that and it pushes them, so I believe we be taught off one another always and are pushing the boundaries. 

“As soon as one individual improves, it is a knock-on impact.”

Within the males’s 100m free, Kyle Chalmers powered down the ultimate 50 metres to win in 48.39 in a race the place all the 10-man subject swam below 50 seconds.

“I am pleased with that,” Chalmers mentioned, who beat 20-year-old Flynn Southam (48.80) and Kai Taylor (48.94) into the opposite podium locations.

“We have some nice depth coming by way of. I’ve had some particular person success … it could be superb to have some relay success with these guys.”

Lani Pallister was in chic kind within the 800m freestyle, crushing a world subject to win in (8:11.28) which included New Zealand’s first ever swimming world champion within the 400m and former world bronze medallist from 2024, Erika Fairweather.

Regardless of having nearly no real competitors — she gained the race by over 12 seconds from Brazils Maria Costa (8:23.98) and Fairweather (8:26.55) — the 23-year-old nonetheless clearly put a lot into the race, throwing up poolside earlier than her Channel 9 interview.

“That is horrendous,” the affable Queenslander instructed 9. 

“I really feel like I’ve made a behavior of throwing up post-race, which I am certain Dean [Boxall] shall be pleased with as a result of it confirmed I attempted actually arduous. 

“I am fairly pleased with that,” she added. 

“I used to be 8:19 in China two weeks in the past on the China Open in Shenzhen, after which dropping eight seconds coming right here is mostly a good stepping stone going into Pan Pacs, Commies and Trials and that kind of factor this yr.”

Pallister has moved to Brisbane to coach below Boxall at St Peters Western this yr and credit her new setting together with her excellent kind.

“Once I moved to Brisbane, I did not actually know what to anticipate, dwelling within the metropolis and being in a brand new squad,” she mentioned.

“However everybody at St Pete’s is simply so unimaginable, and transferring to Dean, being with Mick as nicely, has simply been probably the most unimaginable yr. 

“I believe it is actually cool transferring ahead going into this Olympic cycle. And so they’re serving to me obtain all of the desires I ever needed and extra.”

Another person hoping to go near a private finest within the longer distances is Sam Brief, who powered his method to gold within the 400m freestyle to heat up for the longer distances later within the meet.

The 22-year-old admitted that he thought he was doing one thing “loopy” when he noticed how large his lead was through the race.

It wasn’t loopy. Nevertheless it was a marker to the remainder of the Commonwealth as Brief laid down a dominant 3:42.53 to assert a cushty victory.

“I truthfully thought, with the hole I had, I believed I used to be simply doing one thing loopy,” Brief instructed Channel 9.

“However yeah, no, it is 3:42, obtained to be pleased with that. I obtained off a aircraft every week in the past from the States, so in all probability solely simply beat the jet lag. 

“I believe I am in a great spot to be trustworthy, I am fairly eager for the 800 and 1,500.”

Brief led from begin to end, establishing a lead of just about a second after 100 metres and solely constructing from there.

Dolphins teammate Elijah Winnington got here dwelling within the silver medal spot, nearly 4 seconds behind Brief.

He simply edged out New Zealand’s two-time Commonwealth Video games champion Lewis Clareburt by half-a-second.

Brief, who gained silver within the occasion on the 2022 Commonwealth Video games behind Winnington and has two medals — a gold and a silver — at world championship stage on this occasion so was actually anticipating to do nicely.

The Brisbane swimmer has been coaching at altitude within the USA and, by specializing in longer-distance swimming and even dipping his toes into ocean swimming, is anticipating to just do as nicely later within the week too.

“I really feel so match,” Brief mentioned, seemingly shocked by his kind.

“I imply, this morning [in the heats] was the simplest 3:48 I’ve ever finished.

“I simply could not actually sit nonetheless at present, I used to be so excited to get in right here and provides it a crack. 

“I really feel so match now, simply making an attempt to do some tempo work and get quick.”

Whereas Brief was thrilled along with his kind, Kaylee McKeown expressed some disappointment as she breezed dwelling to win the 200m backstroke in 2:05.66.

“Actually, I’d have preferred a bit bit sooner,” McKeown mentioned.

“I really feel like I’ve put in a very good block of coaching so I am a bit bit disenchanted with the result, however I believe the method is there.”

Elsewhere, within the 200m breaststroke, Bailey Lello held on to beat out a fast-finishing Tokyo Olympic champion and silver medallist in Paris, Zac Stubblety-Cook dinner.

Lello, one other swimmer from the St Peters Western secure coached by Boxall, credited the tremendous coach with trialling “a couple of issues” heading into the occasion that sparked his gold medal swim.

Within the ladies’s 50m butterfly, world championships silver medallist Alex Perkins held off a trio of worldwide guests to complete in 25.62, simply three-tenths of a second outdoors the Australian file she collectively holds with Holly Barrett.

“The 50’s arduous to get proper, only one little factor and your time is a bit slower,” she instructed Channel 9.

Russia-born, Gold Coast-based Mark Nikolaev claimed victory within the 50m backstroke with a time of 25.20, edging out Ben Hance and Isaac Cooper.

Within the ladies’s 100m breaststroke, 17-year-old Sienna Toohey beat out Ella Ramsay and Tara Kinder into second and third respectively.

Kinder and Ramsay had been then crushed by Jenna Forrester — who completed third within the 200m backstroke earlier within the night — within the 400m particular person medley.

Harrison Turner beat out club-mate Alex Quach by a second-and-a-half within the males’s 200m butterfly.

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