G’day Mates!!! Welcome to the 2025 Australian Swimming Trials. After the USA concluded their trials yesterday, and with Canada’s ongoing, it’s time we turned our attention Down Under. Australia will be looking to build a strong and well-rounded team to make the jaunt up north to Singapore for the Worlds.
The prelims session starts with the Women’s 100 butterfly. With no Emma McKeon, the Australia’s will be looking for a new name to continue their strength in the event. Alexandria Perkins leads the field but with two other Aussies under the qualifying standard, expect the competition to be fierce as both Lily Price and Brittany Castelluzzo will be in the hunt for one of the two spots to Worlds. Japanese star Rikako Ikee makes another appearance in Australia and will be looking for some strong racing ahead of Worlds.
The women’s 200 IM, too, is affected by some absence as Kaylee McKeown has opted not to compete in the event, one in which she won the Olympic bronze medal last summer. Instead, the top spot will be held down by fellow Olympian Ella Ramsay. The 20-year-old made the Olympic final in the event but was forced to withdraw as she came down with COVID. Ramsay is the only entrant with a time under 2:10, but with the strong field assembled, the likes of Tara Kinder, Jenna Forrester, and Isabella Boyd may need to be under that mark to make the team,
The men’s 100 breaststroke is scheduled to dive into the pool after the 200 IM. AllComers record holder Samuel Williamson is absent but Joshua Yong and Zac-Stubblety-Cook will be looking to vie for the title for a chance to swim on Australia’s medley relay. The pair are each entered under the SwimAustralia qualifying time but will need to make sure they are at the top of their game so as to stay under it tonight.
Canadian Trials kicked off with a bang as Summer McIntosh broke Ariarne Titmus‘s World Record in the 400 free. While Titmus is not swimming and therefore unable to try to take it back, the Aussie women’s legacy in the freestyle events is still be carried on as Lani Pallister, an Olympic Gold medalist, leads the field. Entered with a seed time of 4:01.75, Pallister will be in the hunt to join that elusive and exclusive sub-4:00 club. Jamie Perkins sits not too far behind at 4:03.30 and will look to join her fellow St Peters Western teammate in the middle of the pool tonight.
The men’s 400 free follows not too long after the women’s, but Australia will have both of their distance aces in the pool. Elijah Winnington and Samuel Short are separated by just .25 of a second in prelims. While the pair should comfortably make the final tonight, it will be interesting to see which one of them will want top billing in the final.
With the 50s of stroke being added to the Olympic schedule the Australians are now swimming these events with qualification on the line. Isaac Cooper is the only entrant on the men’s side under 25.00 but will need to be as sharp as ever as the self-imposed qualify time of 24.81 is just .01 off his entry time.
Not cutting it too close to the qualifying time is Kaylee McKeown. The world record holder in the event is entered in the event with a time of 27.06, well under the 27.74 time. So, too, is Mollie O’Callaghan, who is the 2nd seed at 27.16. The pair, two of Australia’s biggest stars, will look to make the final tonight as the top seeds.
Women’s 100 Butterfly – Prelims
World Record: 54.60 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2025)
Australian Record: 55.72 – Emma McKeon, (2021)
All-Comers Record: 55.93 – Emma McKeon, AUS (2021)
2024 Olympic Trials Champion: Emma McKeon – 56.85
SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 57.90
Men’s 200 Freestyle MC – Prelims
Women’s 200 Freestyle MC – Prelims
Women’s 200 IM – Prelims
World Record: 2:06.12 – Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2015)
Australian Record: 2:06.63 – Kaylee McKeown, (2024)
All-Comers Record: 2:06.63 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2024)
2024 Olympic Trials Champion: Kaylee McKeown – 2:06.63
SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 2:11.96
Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Prelims
World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2019)
Australian Record: 58.58 – Brenton Rickard, (2009)
All-Comers Record: 58.80 – Samuel Williamson, AUS (2024)
2024 Olympic Trials Champion: Samuel Williamson – 58.80
SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 59.75
Women’s 400 Freestyle – Prelims
Men’s 400 Freestyle MC – Prelims
Women’s 400 Freestyle MC – Prelims
Men’s 400 Freestyle – Prelims
World Record: 3:39.96 – Lukas Martens, GER (2025)
Australian Record: 3:40.08 – Ian Thorpe, (2002)
All-Comers Record: 3:40.08 – Ian Thorpe, AUS (2002)
2024 Olympic Trials Champion: Elijah Winnington – 3:43.26
SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 3:47.54
Men’s 50 Backstroke – Prelims
World Record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2023)
Australian Record: 24.12 – Isaac Cooper, (2024)
All-Comers Record: 24.38 – Isaac Cooper, AUS (2023)
2023 Trials Champion: Isaac Cooper – 24.56
SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 24.81
Women’s 50 Backstroke – Prelims
World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
Australian Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, (2023)
All-Comers Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
2023 Trials Champion: Bronte Job – 27.73
SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 27.74