Breaststroke Superstars Zac Stubblety-Cook and Sam Williamson Lead All-Star Australian Lineups for New Grand Prix Teams Event
Superstar breaststroker Zac Stubblety-Cook has urged Australian swimming fans to get behind the Dolphins on the road to Brisbane 2032 with the unveiling of an exciting Grand Prix Teams event in Melbourne today.
The Olympic champion and former world-record holder and fellow world and newly crowned Commonwealth and Pan Pac champion Sam Williamson were on hand to officially launch Swim GP, set down for November 13 and 14, 2026 as the Dolphins strive to build momentum toward Brisbane 2032.
Stubblety-Cook and Williamson will headline a host of Australian swimming’s biggest names who will feature in the all-star Swim GP event that will pit the country’s fastest swimmers against each other in a teams’ format across a gala weekend at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC), with Stubblety-Cook giving the meet his seal of approval.
“It’s great that the sport is trying new avenues and we’re excited to see what this means for swimming leading into 2032, it’s important to get a home crowd invested in the sport of swimming,” said Queensland born and bred Stubblety-Cook, now firmly entrenched at Victoria’s premier club, Nunawading.
“And fandom is central to this. We also want to be part of something that creates FOMO and heated rivalries. We have some of the best swimmers in the world – and I don’t think the Australian public fully realise just how good this Dolphins team is.
“We want them to join us on the journey to 2032 … and this is just the start.”
The format is designed to thrust the sport into the entertainment space as much as to sharpen the swimmers’ competitive instincts and comes on the back of last year’s successful Australia vs. The World meet in Brisbane. Swim GP will feature four teams of 20 Dolphins who will go head-to-head in short, high-energy sessions built for maximum excitement and nail-biting finishes to be televised live on the Olympic broadcaster Channel 9.
Each team lineup features a mix of the Dolphins biggest stars and rising talent from across the Olympic and Paralympic program, led by elite coaches Dean Boxall, Damian Jones, Mel Marshall and Craig Jackson.
With a home Games just six years away, Swim GP is ground zero for engaging existing and attracting new fans to Australia’s most successful Olympic sport.
Swimming Australia executives also revealed that Swim GP would become an important part of the calendar for the likes of Olympic gold medalists Stubblety-Cook, Mollie O’Callaghan, Cam McEvoy, Lani Pallister and Paralympic gold medalists Tim Hodge and Lakeisha Patterson.
The Swim GP program of events will showcase a range of race formats including mixed relays, individual and Para staggered-start races, high-speed Skins races and Mystery Medleys – with bonus points, coaches’ calls and fan voting all influencing the outcomes.
The legacy of Swim GP will be felt in 2032 when the Dolphins line up for a home Games with the fever and buoyancy of an engaged fan base that will change the Australian sporting scene.
The 2026 event is supported by the Victorian Government, who have also committed to supporting the 2028 Australian Short Course Championships, also to be hosted at MSAC.
Swimming Australia CEO Rob Woodhouse (OLY) said Swim GP would be an exciting step in the planning ahead of 2032 aimed at engaging swimming fans in the theatre and entertainment of the sport.
“We saw the support off the back of Australia v The World last year, and we know swimming fans love seeing our athletes compete,” said Woodhouse.
“Building this platform with our partner Channel Nine, we want every household in Australia to know the names of our Dolphins as we lead into 2032 and events like Swim GP allow us to create that platform, for both branding and commercial success.
“We’re thankful for the support of the Victorian Government to deliver this event for the first time, and excited to bring this to swimming and sports fans in Melbourne.”