Trials Day 1 Preview: First peep at stars ahead of Comm Games

With selection for the Commonwealth Games, Pan Pacific Championships and Para Pan Pacific Championships – it’s triple the stakes at the Australian Swimming Trials, starting today at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC).

Australia’s top swimmers, world-record holders and world champions will go head-to-head across six action-packed days.

Heats from 11am : Finals from 7.30pm

SWIMMERS’ SIX PACK HEAT DAY 1

Sam Short | Rackley, QLD – Men’s 400m Freestyle

Will the magic of Ian Thorpe at SOPAC rub off on Sam Short?

In the same pool that a 17-year-old Thorpe dominated the 400m to win Olympic gold at Sydney 2000, Short (pictured) will kick start his Glasgow campaign as one of the red-hot favourites.

Short has gone under 3:42 three times in his career – only Sun Yang, Lukas Martens and Thorpe have broken 3:42 more often than Short. Word on pool deck is that Thorpe’s Australian record of 3:40.08 from 2002 could be under threat.

Kaylee McKeown | USC Spartans, QLD – Women’s 50m Backstroke

The peerless – and tireless – Kaylee McKeown has held this world record since breaking it at a World Cup meet in Budapest in October 2023.

McKeown announced at national event camp earlier this year that Glasgow would be her third and final Commonwealth Games appearance – marking her last chance to claim gold in all three backstroke events.

Hot on her heels are Next Gens’ Jaclyn Barclay – who made the move from St Peters Western to train under Mel Marshall at Griffith University and WA’s Iona Anderson, who won silver in this event at the Doha World Championships in early 2024 but missed World Championships last year courtesy of a back injury.

Sam Williamson | Melbourne Vicentre, VIC – Men’s 100m Breaststroke

Standby for heat three – Sam Williamson is back in the water. After suffering a severe knee injury and missing out on the 2025 World Championships, Williamson is on the comeback to the green and gold.

With the 50m breaststroke Williamson’s preferred event, aspiring Dolphins Bailey Lello and Gideon Burnes are looking to make their mark and upset Williamson and fellow Olympians Zac Stubblety-Cook and Josh Yong.

Burnes was the shock winner of this event at the Australian Open on the Gold Coast winning by a fingernail despite battling an adductor issue.

Lani Pallister | St Peters Western, QLD – Women’s 400m Freestyle

Lani Pallister is the ironwoman of this meet – racing everything from the 100m through the 1500m.

But Pallister has been on a tear in this distance on both national and international stage. The St Peters Western swimmer won the Triple Crown in the 400m freestyle during last year’s World Cups and went on to dominate the event at this year’s Australian Open against former world champion Erika Fairweather from New Zealand.

Such was her dominance at the Australian Open that she went under the four-minute barrier for the third time of her career clocking 3:59.36. The only other Australian to go under this mark is Ariarne Titmus … who will be poolside as part of the commentary team.

Jack Ireland | University of Queensland, QLD – Men’s 200m Freestyle MC

Training under David Hayden at University of QLD, Jack Ireland has been one to watch since he burst through the internationals ranks at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The S14 athlete won 200m freestyle bronze in Birmingham and at his Paralympic debut in Paris 2024.

Already named to represent Australia at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in the men’s S14 200m freestyle event, Ireland is gunning for dual Dolphins team selection with the Para Pan Pacific Championships also on the line at this year’s Trials.

Jasmin Fullgrabe | Marion, SA – Women’s 50m Butterfly MC

Mentored by Marion clubmate Kyle Chalmers, Jasmin Fullgrabe has been building towards her Dolphins’ dream which was realised when announced as part of the 18-strong para squad selected for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The S9 swimmer – who dubs Chalmers and his wife Ingeborg Loyning as ‘mum and dad’ – qualified for the women’s 100m backstroke S9 in Glasgow but will today contest the women’s 50m butterfly MC in preparation of multiple events at Para Pan Pacs.

This is a swimmer who will feature on our screens on the way to the LA Games and beyond.

The 2026 Australian Swimming Trials – held at SOPAC from 8-13 June – is live and free on Channel 9.