Sam Short was born the year after Ian Thorpe left us breathless with a 3:40.08 World record at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.

It was a thrilling moment - the end of swim that helped the multi-sports event grab headlines far beyond the places on the world map that used to be pink before that particular form of colonialism faded into history.

Now, a “super positive” Sam Short is about to race in three categories in the one event: he;'ll be up against the best of the Commonwealth next week, and then the best of the Pan Pacs in the second week of August, the third benign opponent Thorpey, the ghost of his thunderous kick bubbling right there in the lane with the latest Aussie No 400 freestyler.

First up, Short and the Thorpedo will take to the pool in Glasgow on day 2 at the Commonwealth Games the Saturday after next (July 25).

Speaking through Swimming Australia from the 59-strong Dolphins' pre-Games training base in Darmstadt, Short, coached by Damien Jones at the Rackley Swimming Club in Brisbane, nodded to the cracking 3:40.67 best he clocked at Trials back home. Close enough to underpin a picture of himself taking down Thorpe’s 3:40.08with belief. Here's what he said:

“Yeah I'd be lying if I said I haven't (thought about Thorpe’s record). When I rewatch my races, the line's right there. So it's like I'm kind of visualising him (Thorpe) being right there. So I’ve thought about it. It's definitely one of my goals and something I'm chasing.

I love watching those races from back in the day. I kind of geek out on them, if I'm really honest. So yeah, I love to visualise him. Which was before I was even born, which is a crazy thing to think about. But I am feeling super positive, great vibes here in Darmstadt.

“I've had a really, really great season so far, just a lot of just consistent work and I’ve been doing some incredible training, so hopefully I can put on a show for everyone to see."

Here's the challenge on the clock:

• 52.28; 1:47.33; 2:43.69; 3:40.67 - 2006 - Short, Sydney Trials:

Short Shadows Märtens WR Pattern To Pace A 3:40.67 Best At Aussie Trials

Day 1 finals, Sydney: “I’m obsessed with that 3:39 barrier. I work my bum off every day to try and get it. As hard as I’ve trained all year, this is the most consistent I’ve ever been. Yeah, I think it’s only a matter of time” - Sam Short, who’d “probably give my right leg for” a 3:39

State Of Swimming +Nicole Jeffery

• 53.58; 1:49.29; 2:45.49; 3:40.68 - 2023 - Short, World title, Fukuoka 

And the last three World records: 

• 51.90; 1:47.55; 2:44.01; 3:39.96 (55.95) - Lukas Märtens GER - Stockholm 2025 
• 54.42/1:51.02/2:47.17/3:40.07 (52.90) - Paul Biedermann GER - Rome 2009 
• 53.02; 1:49.57; 2:45.43; 3:40.08 - Ian Thorpe AUS - Manchester 2002

Whether he achieves his goal or not, the narrative is just what the Games needs. Back in 2002, the media benches were stacked, mainstream outlets covering every stroke of Thorpey's epic of six golds and a silver on backstroke to boot:

I recall the moment when Ian and his then coach Doug Frost spoke to us about a reconnaissance trip to Manchester long before the Games. The purpose was to walk the walk from team bus to pool, to changing room to blocks; from leap from water to media mixed zone, warm-down, doping control; counting the stairs that had to be climbed, the precise number of steps that had to be taken; the time such things took - but most of all the energy management the whole thing dictated in a program of seven events.

That's the stuff that makes swimming interesting beyond its shoreline. So great to hear Sam Short speaking of the long-held visualisation of his conscious lifetime, even though these Games will be covered by this author remotely, Why?

Well, some of you may have noticed that there's been a lot of talk for a while now about the relevance of the Commonwealth Games, and that's not surprising given the the squeezed budgets, the trend towards 'Commonwealth-mini', the choices of the likes of Summer McIntosh to bypass such a meet and race for Canada instead nearer to home in California at Pan Pacs; the struggle to find hosts, and, in swimming terms, the decision to handle a heartwarming gathering of Olympic and Paralympic swimmers and aspirers in one meet that also chills the heart when it comes to any hope of holding media attention over days of 4-5 hour finals that end long after mainstream media print deadlines have gone to bed.

The sums simply don't add up to having specialists in all sports in the field for two weeks to cover events that simply won't make the cut.

So, coverage there will be, but a great deal of it will be remote, be that niche or mainstream. Sadly, there will be no double-page spreads on swimming in The Sunday Times broadsheet, like there was in 2002 celebrating one of the finest weekends of racing by an England team ever. There will be plenty of coverage far and wide, of course, but much of it will be scattered and it will take a Thorpe-Ian effort to see a swimming star shine more brightly than all the other digital dots out there these days

In remoteness, the job is much easier, but much is lost, including the memory of moments best lived live and up close, the answers to questions delivered by the athlete and coaches and others eyeball to eyeball. Nothing like it, and much to look forward to for those who make it to Glasgow, and those, including me, who'll be in Paris for the European Championships next month.

Meanwhile, Short reaffirmed that his program would include the 200m free on top of the 400m, 800m (an inaugural event for men) and 1500m, 4x200 action a possibility, too. Short reminds us:

“I won the 1500 when I was 18, so I'd love to replicate that … and then there’s the 200m. That's a stacked field. I just want to get in there and have a really red-hot crack at the 200m against Olympic medallist Matt Richards. There’s also champions Tom Dean, Duncan Scott … all of them, it’ll be amazing. And then hopefully I will also be a part of the relays.”

For the first time the men’s 800m has been added to the Commonwealth Games program in Glasgow and Short said:

“I was thinking about that the other day and if you finish first, the person gets a competition record as well. It would be awesome to be the first person to do that and hopefully start creating a good streak for Australian success.”

Harris Has Her Eye On Relay History

Meanwhile, Short’s Rackley teammate Meg Harris, who enters her second Commonwealth Games a world champion and an Olympic silver medallist, is also chasing her own slice of history. Speaking through Swimming Australia from Darmstadt, she noted her own goals and the motivation of helping teammate Shayna Jack (see July Vortex and the repeated Instagram post with coach Dean Boxall below) to leave the fast lane on a high note:

“There's been such incredible swimming at the moment that anything can happen in the women's freestyle but the Commonwealth Games is something I'm really excited for, and especially the relay.

“The 4x100m relay at the Comm Games is the one I really want. I was a heat swimmer in 2022 so to add a gold in the final to the resume would be really good. I’ve been focusing a lot more on the 100m … and now we want to make sure Shayna (Jack) finishes her career on a high.

“She's always just been such an incredible part of this relay, so many girls look up to her, and she has been such a key person in getting this relay team together this year.

“We were both on the podium at the last Commonwealth Games together so it would be nice to get back up there. It’s going to be sad to not have Shayna there for the rest of my career but hopefully we can make our last relay together a special one.”

Shanya Jack To Retire After Commonwealth Games

Australian Shayna Jack has revealed that the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will mark her swimming swan song: