April 6-7

The first two days at the 2026 Gold Coast Australian Open witnessed speedy season warm-up efforts by distance freestyle aces Lani Pallister and Sam Short, her 400-800 double on 3:59 and 8:11 respectively, his on 3:42.53 and 7:41.04.

Te meet also saw medley ace Lewis Clareburt set a kiwi cat among the home pigeons with a thumping New Zealand record for victory in the 200m freestyle.

Clareburt clocked 1:45.57 to leap-frog the 1:46s through splits of 24.84, 51.44, 1:18.66, a 26.91 last length delivering victory ahead of Ed Somerville, 1:46.08, and Kai Taylor, 1:46.67, Will Petric on 1:47.21.

Clareburt, now likely to race the 200 free at Commonwealths in Glasgow come July despite having missed the domestic cut time by a tiny margin in a strange and rare example of the Kiwi cut being faster than its Australian equivalent, was back in for another win on day 2 in the 200m medley, his 1:58.42 keeping Petric at bay on 1:59.22 as the sole sub-2-minute swimmers.

On Day 1, Clareburt, showing how much work he's putting in to freestyle and endurance as part of his medley mission, finished third to to World champions in the 400m free.

Short took the race with a decisive 3:42.53 (52.87; 1:48.40; 2:45.26; 3:42.53 - 28.85 & 28.42) ahead of Elijah Winnington, 3:46.36, the New Zealand visitor on a lifetime best of 3:46.86.

On Day 2, Short rattle his best 800 free with a 7:41.04 win by more than 10sec, splitting 54.92; 1:52.46; 3:48.96; 5:45.79 and finishing with a 27.59 last length. Winnington was closest, on 7:51.74, with teenager Tex Cross under the 8min mark for third in 7:57.06.

Lani Pallister, who in Singapore last year in the speediest top-4 800 free in history came closer to upsetting Katie Ledecky over an 800 or 1500m race since Denmarks' Lotte Friis in 2013, was in a class of her own in the 16-length swim. Her 8:11.28 (through several splits missing from the official timing, including the 100, 200, 400, 500 and 800m marks) left Pallister more than 12 secs ahead by the close of play, Brazil's Maria Costa on 8:23.98, New Zealand's Erika Fairweather on 8:26.55.

In the 400m on day 2, Pallister's 3:59.36 kept Fairweather's 4:02.99 at bay, Costa on 4:03.41 for third.

In other finals...

Mollie O'Callaghan took the 100m free in 52.66 ahead of four 53-points, Meg Harris, 53.36, and Olivia Wunsch, 53.58, closest, Shayna Jack on 53.92, 0.01sec slower than her heats time, and Alexandria Perkins in 53.97.

Jack took the 50m on day 2, a 24.60 challenged by Wunsch (24.78 heat), on 24.84, O'Callaghan, 24.89, and Perkins, 24.92.

Perkins took the 100m 'fly in 57.21 - precisely a second ahead of 200 ace Elizabeth Dekkers - after having won the 50m in 25.62 on day 1.

The most decorated Olympic backstroke swimmer in history, quadruple champion of 2020ne and 2024 Kaylee McKeown got her Open started by sailing to victory in the 200m backstroke, her 2:05.66 (off a 1:02.33 at half way) more than three seconds ahead of Hannah Fredericks' 2:08.

McKeown followed up with a winning 58.06 in the 100m on day 2 ahead of O'Callaghan's 58.98, Fredericks on 1:00.19.

The women's 400m medley went to Jenna Forrester in 4:35.40, with Tara Kinder closing the gap significantly at the back end of battle for second in 4:37.72, Ella Ramsay third in 4:40.78.

Day 1 witnessed a 48.=39 win for Kyle Chalmers in the 100 free ahead of Flynn Southam, 48.80, and Kai Taylor, 48.94. Chalmers also won the 50 'fly with a strong 22.77 as the only man inside 23.4.

There were also wins for:

• Harrison Turner, on 1:56.47 in the 200 'fly;
  Mark Nikolaev, on 25.20 and 54.69 respectively in the 50 and 100 back;
  Sienna Toohey, on 1:06.69 in the 100 breaststroke;
  ... and Tara Kinder ahead of her 2:24.19 to 2:26.43, Ella Ramsay third in 2:26.81 in the 200m breaststroke;
  Bailey Lello, on 2:09.79 in the 200m breaststroke ahead of Tokyo 2020ne Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook, 2:10.03, Will Petric third in 2:11.27;
  Gideon Burnes in the 100m breaststroke on 1:00.66, Lello 0.01sec away, Stubblety-Cook third, 50m man Sam Williamson the last man inside 1:01.

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