Mollie O’Callaghan, Kyle Chalmers hail depth, Sam Short exhibits class on night time certainly one of Australian Open swimming

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 Mollie O’Callaghan, who flew down the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre to assert a cushty victory within the ladies’s 100m free on Monday night time.

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).

But for O’Callaghan, the time was not vital, 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 Games from July 24-29.

“Coming off China [the China Open last month], it’s a bit of a learning curve,” O’Callghan informed Channel Nine.

“A quick change round, but that’s practice for Commies [Commonwealth Games] into Pan Pacs. 

“So for the time being I’m simply attempting to learn to excellent it in-season.”

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

Australia won the 4x100m freestyle relay at the Paris Olympics by over a second and are the current world record holders.

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

“When I enhance, another person watches that and it pushes them, so I believe we study off one another continuously and are pushing the boundaries. 

“Once one person improves, it’s a knock-on effect.”

In the lads’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 discipline swam underneath 50 seconds.

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

“We’ve got some great depth coming through. I’ve had some individual success … it would be amazing to have some relay success with these guys.”

Lani Pallister was in elegant kind within the 800m freestyle, crushing a global discipline 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.

Despite having virtually 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 lots into the race, throwing up poolside earlier than her Channel Nine interview.

“That’s horrendous,” the affable Queenslander informed Nine. 

“I feel like I’ve made a habit of throwing up post-race, which I’m sure Dean [Boxall] will be happy with because it showed I tried really hard. 

“I’m 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 can be a good stepping stone going into Pan Pacs, Commies and Trials and that kind of factor this 12 months.”

Pallister has moved to Brisbane to train under Boxall at St Peters Western this year and credits her new environment with her superb form.

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

“But everybody at St Pete’s is simply so unbelievable, and transferring to Dean, being with Mick as properly, has simply been probably the most unbelievable 12 months. 

“I think it’s really cool moving forward going into this Olympic cycle. And they’re helping me achieve all the dreams I ever wanted and more.”

Someone else hoping to go near a private finest within the longer distances is Sam Short, who powered his technique 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 “crazy” when he noticed how huge his lead was throughout the race.

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

“I honestly thought, with the gap I had, I thought I was just doing something crazy,” Short informed Channel Nine.

“But yeah, no, it’s 3:42, got to be happy with that. I got off a plane a week ago from the States, so probably only just beat the jet lag. 

“I believe I’m in a great place to be sincere, I’m fairly eager for the 800 and 1,500.”

Short led from start to finish, establishing a lead of almost a second after 100 metres and only building from there.

Dolphins teammate Elijah Winnington came home in the silver medal spot, almost four seconds behind Short.

He just edged out New Zealand’s two-time Commonwealth Games champion Lewis Clareburt by half-a-second.

Short, who won silver in the event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games behind Winnington and has two medals — a gold and a silver — at world championship level in this event so was certainly expecting to do well.

The Brisbane swimmer has been training at altitude in the USA and, by focusing on longer-distance swimming and even dipping his toes into ocean swimming, is expecting to do just as well later in the week too.

“I really feel so match,” Short said, seemingly surprised by his form.

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

“I just couldn’t really sit still today, I was so excited to get in here and give it a crack. 

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

While Short was thrilled with his form, Kaylee McKeown expressed some disappointment as she breezed home to win the 200m backstroke in 2:05.66.

“Honestly, I might have appreciated slightly bit quicker,” McKeown stated.

“I really feel like I’ve put in an excellent block of coaching so I’m slightly bit disenchanted with the result, however I believe the method is there.”

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

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

In the women’s 50m butterfly, world championships silver medallist Alex Perkins held off a trio of international visitors to finish in 25.62, just three-tenths of a second outside the Australian record she jointly holds with Holly Barrett.

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

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

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

Kinder and Ramsay were then beaten by Jenna Forrester — who finished third in the 200m backstroke earlier in the evening — in the 400m individual medley.

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