Teenage Titan only just warming up on Day 1 of MC Age Champs

JUST a week out from his 19^th birthday, Callum Simpson (pictured) is the grand old man of the Australian MC Age Championships on the Gold Coast and a champion one at that.

The Paralympic gold medallist headlined the opening night of finals at Gold Coast Aquatic Centre with a win in the 400m boys’ 16-18 years freestyle.

Simpson, S8, was the defending champion in this event and clocked 4:34.87 to register a perfect start to his quest of six gold medals at this event.

The Sunshine Coast swimmer is a Titan of the Para pool and currently holds 20 long course records and, with just two days of racing left before moving fulltime into the Open category, paid tribute to his swimming journey.

“Age Group Nationals have been so important to me. I have knocked one minute off my PB for the 400m over the past four years, I have gone to a Paralympics, a World Championships … and I would not be a Dolphin if not for Age Championships,” he said.

Fellow Dolphin Declan Budd, who made his Australian debut at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore, dominated the boys’ 16-18 years backstroke. Budd clocked 28.44 with Liam Togher second (30.79) and Dylan Neil third (43.01).

The Australian MC Age Championships from 4-6 April act as the curtain raiser for the biggest swimming event on the Australian calendar with more than 3500 athletes, including current and future Dolphins, lining up across the 2026 Australian Open and Age Championships.

In other results:

• In the girls’ 400m freestyle finals, UQ’s Victoria Belando Nicholson won the 16-18 year group ahead of para-triathlon Paralympian Grace Brimelow who claimed silver. Belando Nichoslon clocked 4:57.22 with Brimelow at 5:04.08 and Emily Pratt third (5:13.69). Sunshine Coast’s Annabelle Moloney was a bolter in the 12-15 years age group and won gold with her time of 4:56.38. Emmeline Giraud and Mackenzie Gibbs won silver and bronze respectively.
• Beau Matthews put on a clinic in the boys’ 16-18 100m breaststroke and won gold with his time of 1:10.25. Albany Creek’s Tobi Rinaldi won silver (1:11.23) and aspiring actor Knox Gibson placed third in (1:19.77).
• Darwin’s Sahrah Hancock claimed gold in the girls’ 14-15 years 100m breaststroke final ahead of fellow aspiring Dolphins Mia Hogan and Gemma Sellick who placed second and third respectively. Knox Pymble’s Alyssa Gillespie won the 16-18 year girls’ final, followed by Kincumber Pacific Dolphins’ Summer Klein in second and Jessica Carrington from Charters Towers.

Full results can be found here

Day 2 of Aus MC Age Championships starts 9am AEST. Finals from 6pm AEST. Watch live and free on 9Now.