Final Wrap of 2026 Australian Open

IT may not have been the selection meet for the Dolphins international year of Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships but the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre still delivered several eye-popping performances.

With most athletes still in heavy training or only on a two-day drop taper, there were several PBs and world-leading performances from senior Dolphins including Kyle Chalmers and Lani Pallister, and from emerging stars Sienna Toohey and Jamie Jack (pictured).

Tonight also saw St Peters Western claim the Club Point Score with 1665 points with Griffith University second (1121) and USC Spartans (998) third. In all, Dean Boxall’s St Peters won 17 gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze for 38 medals.

Griffith won 8 gold, 8 silver and 7 bronze (23) and Spartans with 10 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze (21).

On the final night of competition, Pallister completed the 400m, 800m and 1500m hat-trick; Alex Perkins proved her versatility adding a 50m back gold to her 50m and 100m butterfly gold, and para backstroker Liam Togher emerged from the shadow of his great mate Tim Hodge.

Lizzy Dekkers impressed with 2:05.39 in the 200m butterfly; Kai Taylor proved he will again be a vital cog in Australia’s men’s freestyle relays and Box Office Ben Hance remains the world’s premier S14 backstroker.

Dolphins head coach Rohan Taylor said with 10 weeks to go before Commonwealth Games Trials he expected a good balance of new blood and old heads.

“There were some solid performances over the past three days … and how good was it to see Sam (Williamson) back from injury. Tonight was another test for him and he held his technique at the right moment.”

When asked about Mollie O’Callaghan’s form, Taylor said: “She’s a competitor. She is always going to go out there and have a real crack and backing up from China, she is laying down some real consistency. And the great athletes are consistent.”

Final night results included:
Women 50m Breaststroke: Alex Perkins qualified fastest following the withdrawal of the world’s premier backstroker Kaylee McKeown and the world-class Mollie O’Callaghan. McKeown had decided to focus on her 200IM and O’Callaghan her 200m free – which they duly won. But Perkins is shaping up as the Swiss Amy Knife of the Dolphins – fly, backstroke and part of the Dolphins 4x100m relay rejuvenation.

Women’s 1500m Free: There was Lani Pallister and then everyone else. The 23-year-old crushed a 15:44.07 and has been an absolute standout at this meet. One wonders what another two years under master coach Dean Boxall at St Peters Western can deliver come 2028 LA Olympics.

Men’s 50m Free: Cometh the hour, cometh the man. With sprint king Kyle Chalmers scratching from the morning heats, Jamie Jack ripped a 21.71 to hit the wall first in the men’s 50m free to show the work he has been doing with world champion Cam McEvoy is paying off and just may deliver a boarding pass to Glasgow in what would be his first senior team.

Men’s 100m Backstroke MC:  Aspiring Dolphin Liam Togher is following in the strokes of three-time Paralympian Tim Hodge. Just last Sunday, Togher knocked off Hodge’s 16-year boys’ 100m backstroke national age record at the Aus MC Age Championships. Tonight, the 16-year-old chased down his idol and good friend and won the men’s 100m backstroke by 0.05 of a second. Togher hit the wall first in 1:04.20 then Hodge (1:04.25) and Harrison Vig (1:07.58).

Women’s 200m Fly: Lizzy Dekkers had clear waters in the women’s 200m butterfly as the St Peters athlete led from start to finish. With the absence of 100m fly champion Alex Perkins, Dekkers finished almost four seconds ahead of the field and claimed her first gold of the meet. Bella Grant placed second in 2:09.97, followed by Poppy Stephen third (2:10.20).

Men’s 100m Fly: In one of the closest finishes of the night, the men’s 100m butterfly champion was decided on the final touch. Ben Armbruster and Matt Temple flew ahead early but Harry Turner, who was fifth at the turn, charged home to challenge the Olympians. Temple narrowly held on to win by a tenth of a second (51.60) as Turner snatched silver (51.70) and Armbruster in third (52.33).

See full Aus Open results here