Aus Age Champs Day 5 Finals Preview: On Record Watch

ETHAN Haegebaert welcome to the club!

The 16-year-old is just the third new name to join Australia’s all-time Top 10 in the 50m free for 16-year-olds since 2015.

His heat swim of 22.39 was just 0.06 off Kyle Chalmers Australian and All-Comers record and the Knox Pymble swimmer now moves equal third alongside Olympic bronze medallist Flynn Southam.

The top three now reads:

1. Kyle Chalmers  22.33 (2015)
2. Josh Conias 22.35 (2024)
3. > Flynn Southam 22.39 (2022)
> Ethan Haegebaert 22.39 (2026)

Beside Haegebaert (pictured) tonight will be Christopher Montana from Trinity Grammar who qualified second fastest for tonight’s final in 23 flat.

Montana is better known as a breaststoker and at this meet has already broken the national record in the 16 years 50m breaststroke – in the heats and then again in the finals.

As we head into Day 5 finals, 10 national records have been broken and more than 20 swims have gone under qualifying time for the Junior Pan Pacific (JPP) Championships.

A national Junior Dolphins team of up to 32 athletes will be selected for JPP in Vancouver at the conclusion of this meet.

Finals start at 6pm AEST, watch live and free on 9Now.