Aussie Trials: Kaylee McKeown, Cam McEvoy and Mollie O’Callaghan Headline Commonwealth Games and Pan Pac Selection Meet in Sydney
The who’s who of Australian swimmers led by Paris Olympic gold medal-winning trio Kaylee McKeown, Cam, McEvoy and Mollie O’Callaghan will headline the Australian Swimming Trials which will run over six days and nights at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, starting, Monday June 8.
Here are just some of events not to miss as the Aussies line up for selection to represent the Dolphins at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Pan Pacs in Irvine, California.
Night One (June 8):
Men’s 400m freestyle: Will feature the clash of two former world champions, Paris Olympic teammates Sam Short(Rackley, QLD) and Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) – Winnington the 2022 world championship and Short the 2023 world title. These boys never disappoint, Short certain to employ his catch-me-if-you-can tactics. Winnington will be in hot pursuit. A thrilling way to kick start the meet.
Women’s 400 freestyle: A race that for the first time since 2017 will not feature two-time Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus who at 16 broke through for her first National titles in the 400 and 800m freestyle. Now a decade later Lani Pallister from the same club, St Peters Western, QLD and under the same coach Dean Boxall, will open her 2026 onslaught in an event that Titmus made her own. The first of a busy four-event program for Pallister, the only swimmer in this field who has broken four-minutes. Will also chase honours in the 200, 800 and 1500m freestyle events – a never-say-die racer from the get-go. World is her oyster.
Women’s 200IM/50m back: Enter Kaylee McKeown (USC Spartans, QLD). And the one thing you learn when Kaylee lines up in any race at any competition….never turn your back. The four-time Olympic backstroke champion has a different double to open proceedings in the 200IM – the Australian record holder in 2:06.63 and an event that saw her win bronze at the Paris Games; followed by the 50m backstroke, that will make its debut in LA28. Kaylee will once again be the one to beat in IM – with fellow Olympians Ella Ramsay, who will make her debut for Nunawading, VIC and Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) sure to keep her honest and bestie Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) who will push the 2023 world record holder (at 26.86) to the limit in the 50m back.
Night Two (June 9):
Women’s 100m backstroke: Commonwealth and Australian record holder McKeown will be back in action on night two in one of her signature events, the defending Commonwealth champion from Birmingham in 2022 who has already revealed the 2026 Games will be her last. She will be out to leave her indelible mark with St Peters Western duo Mollie O’Callaghan and Hannah Fredericks and Paris Olympian and 2024 world championship silver medallist Iona Anderson (Highlanders, WA) swimming for the minors. Kaylee will looking to let the world know she’s on song with a sub 58 swim – territory where none of these girls have been.
Men’s 200m freestyle: Individual and relay spots are up for grabs here with the race for the top eight the first challenge. And if Max Giuliani (Miami, QLD) and Ed Sommerville (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) can get anywhere near their best times of under 1:45.00 this could well be a classic race. Sommerville never dies wondering and big Max will be coming home like a train. Throw in Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD), Kai Taylor and Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) and Sam Short (Rackley, QLD) and IM star and big improver Will Petric (Nunawading, VIC) and this will be a cracker of a race.
Men’s 100m backstroke: A race that will feature new kid on the block Henry Allan (East Bendigo, VIC) who may well be on the Com Games team already after the 50m backstroke from night one. And the one thing young Henry, at 18, is sure to do, he’ll keep the other boys honest – and that includes Olympians Bradley Woodward (Mingara, NSW) and Isaac Cooper (St Andrews, QLD. While the Games qualifying time of 52.57 may be out of reach for all of them, for the winner, a spot on the medley relay is the golden carrot. Allan has emerged as the boy most likely, leading the 2026 Australian rankings in all three backstroke events, the 50, 100 and 200m. This Australian Age group star from regional Victoria, could be born at these Trials at Sydney’s “Pool Of Dreams.”
Night Three (June 10):
Women’s 200m freestyle: Looking through the records in this event and one name dominates – Ariarne Titmus –World, Commonwealth, Australian and Australian All-Comers time of 1:52.23! But with Arnie sitting in commentary for Channel Nine at these Trials she may well get the chance to interview the winner. And if it’s not two-time world champion Mollie O’Callaghgan then it’s going to be a major upset. Mollie held the WR before Arnie at 1:52.85 and then edged out her former St Peters Western, QLD club mate to win Olympic gold in Paris. With Arnie in retirement, Mollie is now the official leader of this Aussie pack of 200m girls who will lay down the gauntlet to keep Australia on top of the world. Distance star and St Peters Western, QLD clubmate Lani Pallister, SA’s Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully), Bond pair Milla Jansen and Hannah Casey, Meg Harris (Rackley, QLD), Jamie De Lutiis (Carlile, NSW) and Abbey Webb (Cruiz, ACT) all in the mix.
Men’s 50m freestyle: Don’t blink or put the kettle on for this one. You won’t want to miss it with reigning World and Olympic champion and Australia’s latest world record holder Cam McEvoy (Somerville Aquatics, QLD), lining up in what has become one of the real blue ribband events of world swimming – McEvoy one of only three swimmers in history who have swum under 21 seconds – Cam setting the WR at 20.88 in China in March. The only record he doesn’t hold is the 2009 Australian All-Comers mark of 21.19 set by Ashley Callus and if he’s on song – that mark set in a supersuit 17 years ago could well be superseded! Lining up around Cam will be a host of exciting young sprinters including Ben Armbruster (Bond, QLD), Ollie Moclair (Cranbrook, NSW), Isaac Cooper (St Andrews , QLD), Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD), Jamie Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) and Thomas Nowakowski (USC Spartans, QLD).
Night Four (June 11):
Women’s 200m backstroke: The last of four events featuring Kaylee McKeown in the one she owns with her world record of 2:03.14 set back in 2023 at the NSW Championships, returning to the pool that has become of her happiest hunting grounds. Her hands and footprints set in the world record holders lane at the Sydney Olympic pool. A time set in stone forever. One to watch is former St Peters Western, Paris Olympian and 2023 World Championship silver medallist Jaclyn Barclay, now at Griffith under Mel Marshall – at her best which is 2:07.03, is one of the best in the world. While St Peters Western, QLD training partners Hannah Fredericks and Jenna Forrester will also have Glasgow qualifying time of 2:09.09 in their sights, a time that is certainly achievable.
Men’s 100m freestyle: It is hard to imagine it’s 10 years since an 18-year-old footy-mad kid from SA, Kyle Chalmersbecame the Olympic champion in Rio. The big tuna from SA has kept on keeping on as one of the main stayers in the premier 100m freestyle, winning silvers in 2021 and 2024 Games respectively, winning his maiden individual world title in the 100m in Fukuoka in 2023. He’s the king of Australian freestyle sprinting, the father figure literally who loves nothing better than taking his fellow 100m boys along for the ride and what an exciting ride it’s been. Add Queensland foursome St Peters Western pair Kai Taylor and Jamie Jack, Max Giuliani (Miami) and Flynn Southam (Bond) and with relay spots in the World Champion relay team up for grabs this 100m freestyle will be a beauty.
Night Five (June 12):
Women’s 100m freestyle: After an already busy four days Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) returns to the pool in the 100m freestyle, the event which saw her break onto the world stage in Budapest in 2022 with her maiden world crown – and she has snice gone on to win another 10 world titles. Mollie (52.66) comes into this event ranked second behind fellow relay golden girl Meg Harris (52.56). But Mollie O has a pb of 52.08 and fellow Paris Olympic relay golden girl Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) has a best time of 52.28. Throw in Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) with her best of 52.76 and the top end of this event will be red hot. The likes of Bond pair Milla Jansen and Hannah Casey’ Abbey Webb (Cruiz, ACT) and Jamie de Lutiis (Carlile, NSW) will ensure the race for limited relay spots in the Dolphins all-conquering 4×100 team will be on.
Night Six (June 13):
Women’s 50m freestyle: Meg Harris (Rackley, QLD) has owned this one-lap splash since charging down the pool in Paris to grab Olympic silver in 2024 and then turning that sterling swim into World Championship gold in Singapore last year. Harris is one of only two swimmers in the field to have swum under 24 seconds – her 23.97 swum when she won silver in Paris. The other is Shayna Jack, is still representing St Peters but training in WA, who clocked her best of 23.99 to win the 2024 Olympic Trial. Mollie O’Callaghan, Olivia Wunsch and Alex Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) have all swum under 25 and will all certainly be in the mix.
