Gideon Burnes and Ben Armbruster Give The Boys From Bond A Record Breaking Start To Australian Short Course In Sydney
The boys from Bond, Ben Armbruster and Gideon Burnes, have given the 2026 Australian Short Course Championships a record-breaking start on the opening session of the four-day World Short Course selection meet at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
Twenty-year-old Burnes (Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD) struck first when he set a new Australian All-Comers mark in the 100m breaststroke – clocking 56.75 – shaving just 0.01 off Paris Olympian Josh Yong’s 2024 time of 56.76.
Western Australian Yong (Highlanders, WA) holds the Australian record at 56.62, which will be under siege in tonight’s final, also featuring Yong, the third fastest qualifier in 57.33, behind Burnes’ Bond team mate Joshua Collett who is also in career best form clocking a personal best of 56.82.
A final that will now see the three fastest All-time Australians in the centre lanes in what promises to be must watch – Collett moving up the rankings from sixth to third and Burnes rocketing from outside the top ten to second all-time.
Not to be out-done, another Bond boy, butterflying’s 2026 mover and shaker, Ben Armbruster who broke Kyle Chalmers Australian record and a long-standing Australian All-Comers mark with a sizzling time of 22.00. He’ll be looking to break into the exclusive “Club 21” in tonight’s final.
The 24-year-old Armbruster has arrived big time onto the 50 ‘fly stage this year – dead-heating with Chalmers to share Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow in a Games and Oceania record time, before adding Pan Pac gold in Irvine in a new Championship record.
And like his teammate Burnes, Armbruster too charged to the National Short Course record from outside Australian Top Ten, improving a whopping 0.73secs from his previous best.
Armbruster lopped 0.24 off Chalmers time of 22.24 set in Doha in 2022 – and 0.28 off Matt Jaukovic ‘s All-Comers time, set in Hobart way back in the 2009 super suit era – so the Bond flyer not only clocking the fastest time by an Australian but also the fastest time swum in Australia in 17 years.