Fukuoka 400m Freestyle World Champion Sam Short Bolsters Australian Dolphins European World Cup Squad

Samuel Short of Australia celebrates after winning the gold medal in the 400m Freestyle Men Final during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 23rd, 2023.

FLEXIBLE FREESTYLER: Rackley's Sam Short had reason to celebrate after muscling in on the 400m in Fukuoka. Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

World Champion Freestyler Sam Short Bolsters Australian Dolphins World Cup Squad

Reigning 400m freestyle world champion Sam Short (Rackley, QLD) will be joined by the Campbell sisters Cate and Bronte, the return of World champion backstroke ace Mitch Larkin and a host of exciting youngsters in Australia’s 19-strong team confirmed today for the rich European World Cup circuit next month.

They will link up with Short’s fellow Fukuoka triple World Champion, Female Swimmer of the Meet Kaylee McKeown and her Griffith University teammate and four-time World Short Course champion and Female Swimmer of the Meet Lani Pallister.

McKeown and Pallister had already been named by World Aquatics among a group of 20 international stars who will contest the three long course meets in Berlin, October 6-8: Athens, October 13-15 and Budapest, October 20-22.

Athletes will be racing for a total prize purse of $USD 1.2 million, plus bonuses, with $USD 100,000 on offer for the overall winner, $USD 12,000 for each meet winner, $USD 10,000 for world records and a further $USD 10,000 to win the same event at all three meets.

Short emerged as one of the most exciting freestyle talents to emerge since 2016 Olympic champion Mack Horton – making a name for himself as one tough ombre becoming the fifth Australian to win the coveted world 400m title – joining Olympic champions Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett and Kieren Perkins and Elijah Winnington.

He will thrive on the tough racing menu and also the big incentives from World Aquatics.

It’s the international competition return for Bronte Campbell, after her eye-catching 50 and 100m freestyle titles at the recent Australian Short Course Championships in Sydney.

And the continuing international foray by sister Cate after her encouraging results in the Mare Nostrum Series with Australia’s famous sister act chasing places on yet another Olympic team for Paris – Cate a record fifth team and Bronte her fourth as will Larkin who is back in full ssing after major shoulder surgery to save his career.

While Cody Simpson, back in the winner’s circle with encouraging short course wins in Sydney, engages in all-important international competition as he plots his campaign to swim the fastest 100m butterfly of his second coming at next June’s Olympic Trials.

New faces on the team will have similar goals – with the likes of emerging former Tasmanian teenage freestyler Maximillian Giuliani (Miami, QLD) and Bond University butterflying training partners Ben Armbruster and Jesse Coleman and Chandler freestyler sprinter Dylan Andrea.

The Dolphins have also been boosted by the return of Tokyo Olympian and 2018 World Championship and Commonwealth Games 200m breaststroke silver medallist Jenna Strauch from a knee injury that forced her out of the Fukuoka Trials.

Strauch said she hadn’t tested herself since the Australian Championships in April.

“My last competitive swim was Nationals in April, so this is a great opportunity to get some quality racing,” Strauch said.

“Watching the World Championships from the sideline was great motivation for me and the racing in Europe will also allow me to test out the knee under heavy load.”

National head coach Rohan Taylor has welcomed Strauch’s return.

“Jenna is one of our athlete leaders, she’s a world championship silver medallist and she brings a lot to this team,” Taylor said.

“This World Cup campaign is all about giving the athletes coming back from injury or rest an opportunity to race – as well as exposing some of our younger swimmers to better competition and how to best handle the challenges of long-haul travel and racing.

“I can’t wait to see who seizes the opportunity and puts their hand up ahead of Paris.”

Australian Dolphins Team, 2023 European World Cup Tour:

Dylan Andrea (Chandler, QLD)

Ben Armbruster (Bond Uni, QLD)

Bronte Campbell (Cruiz, ACT)

Cate Campbell (Chandler, QLD)

Shaun Champion (Abbotsleigh, NSW)

Isaac Cooper (St Andrews, QLD)

Josh Edwards-Smith (Griffith University, QLD)

Maximillian Giuliani (Miami, QLD)

Zac Incerti (USC Spartans, QLD)

Mitch Larkin (Chandler, QLD)

Kaylee McKeown (Griffith Uni, QLD)

Leah Neale (Chandler, QLD)

Cody Simpson (Griffith Uni, QLD)

Brendon Smith (Griffith Uni, QLD)

Lani Pallister (Griffith Uni, QLD)

Mikayla Smith (Griffith Uni, QLD)

Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD)

Sam Short (Rackley, QLD)

Jenna Strauch (Miami, QLD)

Head Coach: Rohan Taylor

Team Coaches:

Michael Bohl (Griffith Uni, QLD)

Ashley Delaney (St Andrews, QLD)

Amanda Isaac (Abbotsleigh, NSW)

Chris Mooney (Bond Uni,QLD)

Richard Scarce (Miami, QLD)

Maxine Seear (Swimming Australia)

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