Friday night lights as T20 of swimming launched

Some were calling it the T20 of swimming.

Others were saying it was the biggest innovation since pace clocks hit pool deck.

It was Australia vs The World at the Valley Pool in Brisbane and while the scoreboard read Australia 131 defeating The World 105, the winner was the sport itself.

In front of a sold-out crowd, the likes of Olympic 50m free champion Cam McEvoy mowed down Dutch 100m free world champion Marrit Steenbergen in the opening event – a mixed 4x50m relay in which the fans voted for a medley.

McEvoy hauled back more than a 5m gap to give Team Aus the opening win of the night in a statement swim that said that while it was far from a traditional swim meet program with powerplays and mystery relays – the racing was still serious.

In calling the evening a success, head coach Rohan Taylor said: “I am hoping we can continue to create an event for athletes that drives transformation and keeps up with the changing pace of global entertainment.”

“We want to continue to give Aussie fans the chance to see our athletes entertain in home waters, as well as, attract some of the best international talent to Australia – and we’ve seen some great racing tonight and had a lot of fun.

“That was the first time Shayna and Jamie Jack have competed together on an Aussie team, and their mum and dad were here to see it, we had an absolute superstar in Thomas Ceccon (Italy) come out and race … and in one of those races, junior Dolphin Henry Allan hit the wall in a dead heat with him.

“It’s swimming as you’ve never seen before and where audiences value authenticity as much as athleticism. Swimming is more than a sport – it is a shared experience which we will continue to support with new events that showcase new markets and new voices.”

FLASH QUOTES

Shayna Jack: Two-time Olympic gold medallist 

“This is definitely a really fun meet. It’s nice to see some fast swimming … and it’s pretty exciting having all these different amazing athletes come across to our beautiful Australia and take us on,” she said.

“I’ve done some backstroke, I’ve done some freestyle and now my brother is about to race. That’s all very, very exciting.

“The goal is for my brother (Jamie) and I to look our sights on to Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, and, for me, being able to put on an Australian cap with my brother by my side.”

Jamie Jack: Aspiring Dolphin freestyle sprinter 

“(It’s) a learning experience, I’m hoping to improve each one, as I warm up and learn from each race. It’s a great experience to be here and a really good competition that’s here, there’s good people and it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

“I think we’re (Shayna and I) are both excited just to be racing here and we’re together. So, it’s a very good experience and obviously the goal is Glasgow (Commonwealth Games), so this is kind of a warm up.”

Duncan Scott: Became Scotland’s most decorated Olympian at Paris 2024 and is one of four GB athletes competing at Queensland States

“It’s so great that Swimming Australia put on this event. It’s fun and it’s definitely something I’d like to see more of. A few of us from Great Britain have come out and we’ll spend another few days over here before going back home for Christmas,” he said.

“To be fair none of us really know what’s going on but Australians love their swimming and the crowd has been really into it so it’s been fun to be part of.”

Pictured: Meg Harris, Sam Short and Shayna Jack celebrating the win with Team Aus.