Aussie Selection Trials – Day 1 Heats: Sam Williamson’s Impressive 59.11 To Confirm He’s Well And Truly Back After Horrific Training Accident
Paris Olympian and former breaststroke world champion Sam Williamson has taken just 59.11 seconds at the Australian Swimming Trials in Sydney today to confirm he is well and truly back from an horrific training accident that threatened his career in May last year.
The 27-year-old Victorian clocking his fastest 100m breaststroke time since breaking the Australian All-Comers record twice in one day at the 2024 Olympic Trials – today’s heat swim just 0.22 outside his own record of 58.80 – the fastest time swum in Australia.
Taking a major leap forward as he chases Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific selection in tonight’s final.
Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre) powered to the wall to register not only the fastest time of the day to lead the qualifiers into tonight’s final but also a top eight time in the world for 2026 and under the Swimming Australia automatic qualifying standard of 59.39 for the Glasgow Games.
Joshua Collett (Bond, QLD) clocked the second fastest time of 1:00.76, followed by Joshua Andersson (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 1:00.79.
But what a comeback from big Sam after suffering a career-threatening ruptured patellar tendon, tearing it off the VMO (vastus medialis oblique) muscle during a routine warm-up jump session.
It left him with a displaced kneecap, the injury requiring immediate surgery and forcing Williamson to miss the 2025 World Championship Trials, so preventing him from defending his 50m breaststroke world title from 2024.
But after a long road of rehab and recovery Williamson made his comeback to competition earlier this year, winning the Victorian 50m breaststroke Championship.
Saying at the time: “It’s been a pretty big nine months after unfortunately suffering (that) incredible debilitating injury last year.
“I’m just so proud of myself and incredibly proud of the team I’ve got behind me and just getting back up on the blocks tonight was a huge effort.
“I’m now looking forward to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow…that’s the goal.”
And that could well be signed sealed and delivered at t the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre tonight if Williamson can repeat the dose in the final.
Other highlights of the Day One Heats Session came from:
- Paris Olympian Lani Pallister (St Peters Western QLD) who looked well in control, of the women’s 400m freestyle, clocking an impressive 4:02.99 99 (27:36, 57.58, 1:58.89; 3:00.81) the fastest time of the day ahead of club mates Jenna Forrester (4:04.94) and Amelia Weber (4:06.97) – the qualifying time set at 4:06.75.
- Her Paris team mates and former world champions Sam Short (Rackley, QLD) 3:45.17 (under the Qualifying time of 3:45.88) and Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western) 3:46.77 with Benjamin Goedemans (St Peters Western, QLD) next on 3:47.25.
- Kaylee McKeown (USC Spartans, QLD) who holds the world record at 26.86, clocked the fastest time of the day of 27.22 in the 50m backstroke heats ahead of Paris teammates Iona Anderson (Highlanders, WA) 27.55 and Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 27.67.
- It followed the Paris bronze medallist’s withdrawal from the 200IM which saw Paris team mate Ella Ramsay(Nunawading, VIC) clock the fastest time of the day with her 2:10.70, ahead of Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:12.05 and Forrester in 2:13.52.
- While 2024 world champion Isaac Cooper (St Andrews, QLD) in 24.81 won his heat of the 50m backstroke in the fastest time of the day, a touch ahead of teenage prodigy Henry Allan (East Bendigo, VIC) 24.84 and Bradley Woodward (Mingara, NSW) winning the opening heat in 25.52 and;
- Paris 200m butterfly finalist Lizzy Dekkers (St Peters Western, QLD) with the fastest qualifying time in the 100m butterfly of 57.01 followed by Lily Price (Rackley, QLD) 57.96 and Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 58.40 – the girls chasing a Qualifying Time of 57.11 tonight.
2026 Australian Swimming Trials – Event Page