NIGHT 3 FINALS: Dolphins legend delivers liquid gold

AHMED Kelly – one of the stars of the Australian Dolphins – delivered a glittering hometown send off on the final night of the 2025 Australian Short Course Championships with double gold.

Kelly gritted through the residual fatigue of the recent Singapore World Para Swimming Championships to claim gold in the 150m IM and 50m breaststroke finals, taking his haul at this meet to three gold.

On a night where it was warmer in the pool than on pool deck, Kelly – a silver medallist in Singapore – was racing the clock and his own world record in the men’s multi-class 150m IM.

The Iraqi-born Australian, affectionally called Liquid Nails, dived into an otherwise empty pool from lane four to miss the record but claim gold and hearts with 2:57.88, two seconds outside his world-best time.

“I was definitely going for it (the world record) but I am feeling a bit zapped of energy after the travel and heat of Singapore and having a busy program here but it’s all about learning resilience on the way to LA,” he said.

Since 2019, Kelly has won five international medals in the 150IM, attended four Paralympics in 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024 and won two silver medals in Tokyo and Paris. Tonight’s double gold haul took his national short course tally to 3 gold and 1 silver.

Also claiming gold in front of a home crowd at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre was Tara Kinder who bounced back from the first disqualification of her swimming career in the 200m breaststroke (for movement on the block) to win gold in the 200m IM (2:07.42).

Like Kinder, Australian teammate Kai Taylor is using this meet for a tune up ahead of international racing and for Taylor it was also a return to the venue that launched his Dolphins’ career.

Back in 2023, Taylor stunned from Lane 8 to qualify for the Fukuoka World Championships team and earn his Dolphins pin number.

But tonight he hit the water having won gold at July’s World Aquatics Championships in the 4x100m freestyle relay before adding bronze in the 4x200m.

Following the withdrawal of Sam Short, Taylor went into tonight’s 200m free as the short-priced favourite and promptly won, stopping the clock at 1:43.51, ahead of Cameron Bladen (1:44.37) and Anders McAlpine (1:44.72).

“I have only been back for about six weeks and I am here just to have some fun and get some race practice and it’s very surreal just thinking back that I made my first team here … and how much has changed in two years,” Taylor said.

“But now I’ll go back home to Brisbane, pack the bags and head to the US for the World Cups.”

Also packing his bags for World Aquatics Swimming World Cup (25m) which starts in a week’s time in the United States is Short who dominated the 400m, 800m and 1500m events at this meet, winning them all in PBs.

In tonight’s 800m, former world champion Short clocked 7:31.79 – a time that has only been bettered by 10 other swimmers in short course swimming history and one other Australian – former world record Grant Hackett (7:23.42).

In other results:

Men’s 400IM:
Rising teenager Sam Higgs, 18, claimed the double – adding the 400IM to the 200IM title he won earlier this week. Higgs clocked 4:08.19 while Thomas Hauck finished second (4:09.82) and Cameron Ricchini third (4:10.66).

Women’s 100m Butterfly:
Newly crowned World Championship relay gold medallist Brittany Castelluzzo capped off a tremendous meet with gold – her third in three days – in the 100m butterfly (56.81). The 24-year-old also claimed gold in the 100m IM and 200m free. Lucy Dring finished second (57.66) with Isabella Boyd third (57.85).

Men’s 50m Butterfly:
Dual Olympian Matt Temple remains Australia’s premier sprint butterflier. Temple has dominated this week adding the 50m to his 100m short course title tonight. His 22.98 enough to out touch Jackson Govers (23.59) and William Layton (23.64).

Women’s 100m Freestyle:
USC Spartan Lucy Dring will have to claim excess baggage on her flight back to Queensland – a gold in the 100 free (54.08) was her sixth medal at this meet and second gold. The 22-year-old’s Melbourne Short Course haul sits at 2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze.