History Repeats Itself As Kyle Lee Wins Australian 10km Title; World Champion Moesha Johnson Defends Women’s Crown
As far as history repeating itself goes it doesn’t get much better and much closer than today’s Australian 10km men’s Open Water Championship at Bunbury’s Koombana Bay in WA.
After a gruelling battle-royal, local Western Australian hero and 2024 Olympian Kyle Lee (North Coast, WA) staged another stroke-for-stroke shoot out with Queensland’s Thomas Raymond (Noosa, QLD), in what could well be an instant replay 12 months on.
Lee winning the sprint again as he did with Raymond in Busselton in 2025, with his Paris teammate, open water debutant and former 400m freestyle world champion Sam Short (Rackley, QLD) snatching bronze in another touch-and-go finish for third – certainly The making his presence felt.
DREAM COMES TRUE…AGAIN: WA’s favorite open water son Kyle Lee claims another tight finish. Photo Courtesy Adam Crane (Swimming Australia)
Turn the clock back 12 months to the waters of Bunbury in WA and it was Lee and Raymond who went hammer-and-tongs, Lee, the absolute master of the fingernail finish, out-touching his Queensland rival by five-one-hundredths (0.05).
Only differences today ? The Location (50km down the coast) their cap colours and the third placegetters – Short replacing five-time champion and another Paris Olympian in Nick Sloman, forced out of the race at the 11th hour with a sinus infection.
In another frantic finish it was Lee (1:51:41.50) surging with his left hand to out-touch Raymond (1:51:41.60) with Short, hitting the board in 1:51:43.70 – the winning margin in 2026 just 0.10.
In the women’s event it was defending champion Moesha Johnson (Miami, QLD) living up to her reputation as one of the world’s best, the two-time 2025 World Champion taking the title from an ever-present and improving Tayla Martin (Carlile, NSW) with Japan’s Sachika Kajimoto third.
Johnson touching in 1:54:59.30, Martin in 1:55:21.20 and Kajimoto third in 1:59:56.80.
NUMBER ONE: Moesha Johnson turns it on in WA. Photo Courtesy Adam Crane (Swimming Australia)
Queensland’s open water newcomer and emerging pool star Tiana Kritzinger (Rackley, QLD) was an encouraging fourth, the third Australian home in 2:00:02.20.
A $50,000 prize purse was on offer for the Top 8 finishers of the men’s and women’s 10km that featured $8000 for the first, $6000 for second and $1500 for third descending down in value to 8thplace.
What They Said:
MEN
MEN’S PODIUM: (L-R) Tom Raymond, Kyle Lee and Sam Short. Photo Courtesy Adam Crane (Swimming Australia).
Kyle Lee: “It feels just as special knowing that there was such a quality field coming over. We had the usual names like Tom Raymond and Bailey Armstrong and someone like Sam Short to join the ranks makes the race very exciting,” he said.
“It was extremely close to that finish, there was about four or five of us boys that were all close and not knowing who was going to get it I guess keeps it really exciting and I was able to just get the touch on Tom (Raymond) which I’m pretty happy with.
“It’s been nice to stay home and sleep in my own bed. To come down here and see so many familiar faces and friends and family that I’ve grown up with is very special.
“It’s awesome (to have the likes of Sam Short and Tiana Kritzinger). We’ve seen …..some of the best pool swimmers (from around the world) turn into the best open water swimmers. I’m extremely glad that Tiana (Kritzinger) and Sam (Short) are giving it a go and it only increases the depth in Australia and that helps us grow as a nation.
“This is great (and) gives us the opportunity to go (and) compete at World Cups to try and make that Australian team that will compete at the Pan Pacific Championships, so this is a great start and it was great to watch my teammates race before me and seeing them get a great result.
“I think everyone has different strategies in the race and I try to take the inside line and that works best for me.”
Sam Short: “It was good fun but it was very hard, probably more mentally than physically to be honest.
“Those guys are so experienced and I could tell they were using their experience against me throughout the whole race so I was kind of trying to stay with them but I was right there in the end.
“When they started surging, I could tell I had to get my stroke rate up, I probably should have been a bit smarter … and I didn’t feed enough. I didn’t know whether to feed and then try work hard to catch back up or to try and stay in my rhythm … I probably should have fed at least one more time but that comes with a bit of practice.”
“I’ve got the 5km and the 3km (knockout sprint) still to come, so I think shorter distances may be a bit better for me.
“It’s probably the fittest I’ve ever been in January … it’s really good training, a lot of kilometres – 18 kilometres of racing across four days – so I think it’s going to set me up well … and I’d rather do a 10km race than 10km in the pool for training.
“I’d love to be part of the 4x1500m or the 3km knockout at a World Championship if it’s available and fits into my timeline. I’ve got to prove myself at Nationals to be able to throw my hat in the right to be available for that. Fernado (Possenti, Australian Open Water Head Coach) knows what he’s doing, he’s coached some legends before.”
Moesha Johnson: “The water temp was absolutely beautiful … the wind was a little bit choppy but it died during the middle of the race and we had some cloud cover, which is nice for the glare. Overall, just a really nice location.
“Tactic for this race was (just) … swim. And that’s just what I did. I had my own line at the start and just kind of focused on keeping an even rhythm, building through the race and practicing a few things to me, personally, for the season ahead.
“A few things enticed me to come back. We’ve got a great initiative with some prize money, it’s a great season opener for me to start and set myself up for the World Cups and Pan Pacs, ultimately. It’s a new race location and I love exploring my own country, I was really excited to come race somewhere new.
“I brought my coach (Bernd Berkhahn) out (to Australia) which is something I haven’t done. I’ve done a lot of individual racing without him, so I thought this was a great opportunity in January to have him come and assess jet lag and a few things, especially in the preparation for LA.”
Tayla Martin: “The first six laps were pretty flat and then the chop came up towards the last two (laps).
“My goal for today was to be on Moe’s feet for most of the race … I lost it towards the end but I’m really happy with that race.
“That race gave me great confidence going into those World Cups and Pan Pacs later on this year. (To be) top 10 in the world would be amazing, so that’s the goal.”
AUSTRALIAN PODIUM: (L-R) Tayla Martin, Moesha Johnson, Tiana Kritzinger. Photo Courtesy Adam Crane (Swimming Australia)