Australia News

O'Callaghan Doubles On 52.3 & Says Still "Trying to Wrap My Head Around" 100m

Sub-52? "I think it's a big mental barrier for me to break the 52, and that's something I need to work on, and especially how I race and everything. So to see those two girls do 51 is just incredible and so inspiring for me. And it’s nice to see the 100 free evolve." - Mollie O'Callaghan

by Nicole Jeffery Craig Lord

published June 12, 2026

Australia's 100m free sorority gave little away in a podium of 52-pluses led by a 52.33 from Mollie O'Callaghan, the next wave of 4x100 contenders still on the other side of 53 in the opening final of the penultimate day of Australian Swimming Trials in Sydney. The Olympic and World 200m champion emerged to say:

I think the 100 is very difficult to understand. I'm always looking for improvements. And I'm happy with it ... The 200, I was happy with, I was so close and that's my favourite race. The 100 is kind of my second favourite. So just trying to wrap my head around it." [Full quotes from Sydney below]

O'Callaghan, Meg Harris and Shayna Jack bagged their berths for solo action and Dolphin sprint freestyle relays at Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next month and Pan Pac Champs in California in August. All were shy of their personal bests, O'Callaghan securing the 100-200 double a reach shy of her 52.08 high from 2023, Harris 0.11sec shy of her 2024 best in 52.63, and Jack's 52.9 an arm swing shy of her 52.28, also from 2023.

Butterfly ace Alexandria Perkins was next home precisely a second behind O'Callaghan, before the next gen' came rolling home, Olivia Wunsch the first 'reserve' and the last to race inside the selection time for the solo event based on top eight in the world. Milla Jansen, the teen between two 20-year-olds, was next in line for possible relay action, Hannah Casey the seventh and last home inside 54:

We're two years out from the runway to LA2028 - and the 52-second dam is building, and the 53-dam will need to have been broken by at least four relay teamsters for a shot at 4x100 golds.

Post-race, O'Callaghan was asked about a sub-52 - was it a goal?

"In the future, yes. I know two girls have gone 51 and it's so impressive. Like, it's such a big thing mentally. I think it's a big mental barrier for me to break the 52, and that's something I need to work on, and especially how I race and everything. So to see those two girls do 51 is just incredible and so inspiring for me. And it’s nice to see the 100 free evolve."

Last month, American Anna Moesch sailed from the 53s straight over the 52s to smash her personal best 100m free for the first sub-52 continental Americas record and all-time No2 performance of 51.94. The source of the shockwave was the last session of AP Race's London International and, as we noted at the time, doubtless landed with a thud Down Under:

And that was swiftly followed by yet another new member for the sub-52sec club, Marrit Steenbergen, not one but twice, the first a 51.8, the closest anyone has got to Sarah Sjostrom's stunning 51.77 World record, then a 51.9:

All above and many more have said at one stage or another that the 100m is a tricky test, perhaps all the more so for those, like O'Callaghan focused on the 200m.

With Nicole Jeffery poolside in Sydney for SOS:

Asked how she thought her race had gone, O'Callaghan, coached by Dean Boxall at St Peters Western, said:

As I say, I think the 100 is very difficult to understand. I'm always looking for improvements. And I'm happy with it. It's just about what Dean thinks and what I needed to do, and if I did that right thing, and I think this is a stepping stone towards LA. Obviously, I would like to do better. I'm always on the verge of being… there's a few things I need to fix. So I'm always wanting more and I think out of the races this week, that's the one where I've wanted more out of. The 200, I was happy with, I was so close and that's my favourite race. The 100 is kind of my second favourite. So just trying to wrap my head around it.

Are you more excited about Comm Games or Pan Pacs?

"They're both completely different. Pan Pacs I've never done before, so I don't know what to expect. Comm games I've done and I've had heaps of fun there. I feel like it's kind of laid back compared to the Olympics, even though it's quite intense with Australia behind it. Normally, when you go to Pan Pacs and Worlds, the regular person wouldn't know that you're doing that, but Commies and Olympics, the regular people who don't watch swimming, are watching it, so you have that extra pressure."

Paris, you were obviously so close to the podium in this event. Has it been a real focus these next four-year cycle to see what you could do to find that extra time to get there in LA?

"Yeah, I think, no matter what I race, I'm always trying to figure out and try and get the best shape and learning for LA, I think the 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke, even though they're fun, I always still think about it as a stepping stone towards LA, and if it compliments my other races. So, I think a lot of the times, I look at each race and how they compliment each other… I think I’m trying to figure out every single race and trying to get the best out of myself, because that’s the best way to go for LA."

After discussing the sub-52 zone, O'Callaghan was asked if she was also racing the 50, given shed entered.

"We will see. It's one of those ones, it's another fun one for me. Again, it compliments the 100 and 200 and my other events. So I'll talk to Dean and see what he says, but it's on the cards for now."

Shayna Jack's qualification meant that she and brother Jamie, second to Cam McEvoy in the 50m free on Day 2, have qualified for the Australian team together for the first time.

The siblings hugged and shed a few tears on poolside after Shayna's third-place finish and qualification. What did it all mean to her?

"For me, tonight, it was just, honestly, so special to be able to get myself on the team with my brother. but also just really enjoy racing. It's been a long journey, and as I've mentioned, I haven't dealt with a lot of my past traumas, and that's why I probably struggled a lot to come back after Paris, but I was honestly so proud of myself being here today. We've lost a beautiful girl from Victorian Athletics today, due to an accident overseas, and seeing things like Jai Arrow (NRL play diagnosed with MND) and what his family's going through and himself, it really does put things into perspective, and I've just been telling people... in the end, I'm healthy, I'm happy, I got a beautiful family, and beautiful fiancé, who's currently in London, and I got to swim a swimming race, and I'm really proud of that. So I'm going to take it."

The trauma was the fight to clear her name as a "drug cheat" after a shock positive test threw a massive spanner in her career:

So knowing that Jamie booked his spot early in the week, how did you sort of manage the nerves tonight?

"That's a great question. It was very hard. You know, in any sporting life, you've got to manage yourself as well, and you've got to be as selfish as you can, but it's very hard when I wanted that dream for him as well, and so I did turn it on and watch. I did cry my eyes out, but I really wanted him to have that moment, so I actually didn't stay on pool deck. I actually went home and watched it, so that he could experience that for himself. It wasn't about me. It was about Jamie Jack, not Jamie Jack Shayna’s brother. So, I really respected him as an athlete for that, and I wanted to just give him that space. I FaceTimed him. We had a moment, and then I went to bed, because I had a job to do today, so really grateful that I was able to do that job. And, I’ve still got the 50 tomorrow, and I really want to get that done as well."

How special will it be to be on a team together? Have you been on a team together before?

Our first experience racing alongside each other was Australia versus The World. So it's always incredible to be by each other's side, but taking it to the world and actually going on to that stage together, I hope I get to present his Australian cap to him. I trying to work out what number he would be. I'm 785 and I think there's nearly been 100 people since me, so it really does put into the perspective how long I've been in the sport. I've been racing internationally since 13, so I really just want to be there for him as a support. I am his sister, but I still respect him as an athlete and give him that chance to learn and grow and experience everything for himself.

The Top Four:

**From top left clockwise: Meg Harris, Mollie O'Callaghan with a young fan, Shanya Jack and Olivia Wunsch - phots by Delly Carr, courtesy of Swimming Australia**

Men's 1500m Free

200, 400, 800, 1500 Sweep For Sam Short

Sam Short completed a quad freestyle sweep with a 14:42.09 victory over 30 laps of the Sydney Olympic Park pool, his first 900m under World-record pace. There were personal best times in the 200, 400 and 800m free this past week, but his 14:37.28 from 2023 stands tall yet.

All three podium placers made the Dolphin cut, the selections earned in a tight tussle for the minor spoils: Matt Galea, who missed selection last year and moved to train under Dean Boxall, on 14:50.22, Ben Goedemans on 14:50.67:

Short, coached by Damien Jones at Rackley, Brisbane, was under WR pace to the 900m mark before feeling the weight of the week, while Galea's new best moves him to No.6 on Australian all-time list, and Goedeman's 14:50.67 new high moves him to No.7 on the Aussie all-time ranks.

First question to Sam - Well you didn’t die wondering out there?

"Yeah, I hurt a lot. My plan was to push myself, just wanted to see what I’ve got. The last 500m hurt a lot, fastest domestically that I've ever done. I'm a racer, you know, when you really hurt, you need someone next to you. But it’s all good signs. I really hope I get challenged overseas, get to race a world record-holder in America, and Dan Wiffen [Ireland's Olympic 800m champion and 2024 World champion] at Commies. I can lift when I’m in a race for sure."

Short's four wins matched Grant Hackett's feat at nationals). Said the 2026 top pacer:

"Oh, it's great. I'm so happy with that, but at the end of the day, it's great domestically, but I'm pretty sure he won the 1500 on the international stage for 11 years in a row or something crazy. So, you know, to be in the same sentence as him, it's an honour. But, I guess, to achieve what you want to achieve, you need to be in that kind of conversation, Right? 100%. You know, I'm definitely limiting my training to… I love the 400 and 800, you know, I do the 1500 because [I boosts fitness] ... so I know I can push myself and it's a good challenge. But, it’s definitely not my main event anymore, to be honest. I’m really excited about the 400 and 800. I do love doing the 1500 race, but it's hard, and I don't train for it specifically anymore."

So you feel like you’re more suited to 400-800?

"Yeah, I think that's reflected in my 200 PB early in the week. And it's just... I mean, you can't do everything. But I can get away with it, just by digging real deep."

If there was one world record, Aussie record, that you would love to get, what would be the one?

"The 400. I’ve been really training my bum off for that. Earlier in the week, I didn't expect to be out as fast as I did. I've been trained to be out in that 1:48, but I turned in 1:47.3. I knew my 200 was going to be great after that. But I know a couple, two more, really good opportunities this year, I think I'll have a really good shot. Yeah, 3:39, I've been dreaming about that."

So do you feel like you need to go through just a bit easier in that first 200?

"Yeah, it felt exactly like I've been training, but I think I’ve just I freshened up a lot and that's just the racing environment. So a couple more good hit-outs and I can refine that a little bit more and see what can happen."

In other action:

it was a day when a swim of a little over 900 points won the men's 200m breaststroke and the men's 200 back and women's 200m breaststroke finals ended with no swimming over the 900-point mark:

Men's 200m breaststroke - Stubblety-Cook Leaves It Late For Last Lap Overhaul To a 2:08.9 Win

Stubblety-Cook through, but Bailey Lello on 2:09.84 not, 0.52sec sy of the cut.

Meanwhile, worth noting that Zac and Ella Ramsay left the Griffith University club eight weeks ago after their relationship with coach Mel Marshall, mentor to Adam Peaty since his childhood, broke down. They joined the Nunawading club in Victoria, training with another coach flown in from Britain, Jol Finck, who guided James Guy to the 2015 World 200m free title. .

Stubblety-Cook, the Tokyo2020ne Olympic champion, was asked if he knew the old magic would still be there as he sped home.

"Oh, I was hoping. I mean, for me, fitness has been the last eight weeks, since I moved to Melbourne, so it was time to get fit, time to get a lot of work in and, you know, training with a 400IM group definitely got me there."

You said out there that you were more nervous than you've been for a while?

"Yeah, there's a lot riding on that race for me. Obviously it’s been a big move and something that I didn't know what was going to be out there. And I guess like, when you move your whole life, you question a few things and question whether you can still do it. And for me, it's been a long time between PBs. I haven't PB’d since 2022. So it's been a little while now, but I definitely still believe the best is in front of me and I’m excited for the next chapter."

What led you to move to Nunawading?

"Oh, a number of things. I mean, for me, there's been a few rumours and everything in between, but it was the right time to change and something I'm enjoying."

Right, and how long will you be there?

"We'll stay there at least until September. And I'm really enjoying the tenure with Jol and the group that he’s building at Nunawading. It's very odd to look up at the screen and see Victoria next to my name. I think that’s something I'll have to get used to, but definitely in September I'll make a really hard call on exactly where I'll be to LA."

What is it going to take to crack a PB again?

"I mean, for me, it's too slow out. I'm too slow for the first 100. I was very fortunate when I broke world record, Matt (Wilson) took me out in 61. In order to capitalise on the back end, I need to be out faster. It's very simple. And I think there's a lot of skill component, my skills have gotten slower. So for me, that means turns and starts are going to be a big focus in the back end of this year. But I think LA ultimately, it will take a PB to get back on the podium and get very high on the podium, The rest of the world is getting a lot faster. Australia's not getting left behind, we've got a really good stable, but I feel I just need to break through again."

The 3rd go round is the hunger still there?

"I think Melbourne's give me a bit a fresh lease on it. I mean, an anecdotal story is, we swam the club championships at Nunawading, and it’s a meet with 500 kids and you're like, this is what it's all about. This is where I grew up swimming and what I grew up doing and it reminds you of why you started it and all the kids coming up, asking questions, it's like, it's given me a new lease on that and definitely filled my cup up being down there. And with guys like Will (Petric), watching them train every day, it's exciting to see him kind of get to the next level and strive for a podium and for me, it reminds me of when I was like a 22 and 21 when it was head down, bum up, and all focussed on that. So for me, it's been kind of interesting. Looking back and then looking forward is like, you have guys at age nationals who are breaking my records now, as well as Bailey coming through, and, believe it or not, I actually used to swim with Bailey's older brother, and it's a bit odd to see all that transpire too. So, for me, it's really exciting to be in Melbourne."

And where do you think you can get to by the Comm Games and Pan Pacs?

"There's a lot more in that swim. I think tonight definitely, I was probably racing it a bit more than I wanted to, but I've got the job done and now I can look ahead to the next step. Obviously, Commonwealth Games will be a bit more of a race. I think there's Filip (Nowacki, of Jersey), who has swum a 2:07, 2:06, so he'll be the main challenger at Commies, and then Greg Butler, as well, from England, and then I think Pan Pacs is a whole different beast, having all the Japanese and a very, very fast heat."

But you feel like you can make a step up from here?