Day 2 Heats Wrap 2025 Australian Open Championships

WORLD, hold on!

The first world record of the Australian Open Championships has fallen at Brisbane Aquatic Centre and naturally it came with a big flex from Lex.

Alexa Leary (pictured), 23, smashed out a 59.22 to better her old mark (59.53) from her gold-medal swim in Paris in the women’s 100m freestyle (S9).

That world record swim marked Leary’s first individual Paralympic medal and came after she had stormed home in the anchor leg for the Dolphins’ 4x100m 34pt mixed medley relay team to an emphatic first-place finish two days earlier.

The S9 swimmer surprised herself this morning with her world’s best time and exclaimed: “We’ll do it again in the final!”

When told of her record swim, Leary said: “I wasn’t hundred per cent sure. I need to see the time on paper … did I actually break the world record?”

“Awww yes, that’s a good backend speed as well. I knew I was hurting but not that bad.”

Coach John Bell said Gold Coast-based Leary had been training well and recovered from an infected toe that had kept her out of the water recently.

Leary’s first hit out at NSW State Open Championships in March saw her claim the 50m title but she then pulled out of the 100m event.

This morning’s heat swim marked her first competitive 100m hit out since the Australian public, the world, and Australian music producer Fisher fell in love with her humour and sense of infectious fun.

The athlete who set La Défense Arena on fire with back-to-back world record swims and danced atop the dais in celebration is a chance to replicate this feat again in tonight’s final.

Paralympians Chloe Osborn is second fastest qualifier while Keira Stephens was third.

Finals start 6pm and session will be shown live and free exclusively on 9Now.