Sam Short Surging Toward World’s Best Short Course 400m Freestylers After Clocking 3:35.16 In Beijing Trials
A surging Sam Short will launch an all-out attack on the world’s fastest 400m freestylers when he spearheads the Australian Dolphins at this year’s World Short Course Championships in Beijing in December. The 23-year-old Queenslander delivered a personal best time of 3:35.16 (24.96; 51.64; 1:45.71; 2:40.87) to win the 400m freestyle in a canter on Night Three of the Australian Short Course Championships and Selection Trials in Sydney.
Swimming Australia will name a 24-strong-team for the Beijing World’s tomorrow night after Short completes his program with the 1500m freestyle – having already won the 800m on Night Two. Short and female distance star Lani Pallister will be the first swimmers picked.
IT’S A THUMBS UP from Sam Short who has had another stellar week in the pool in Sydney, with the 1500m to finish off on the last night…..60 laps left Sam. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Short admitted after an impressive 400m showing that he had completed only four short course training sessions since returning from his successful seven-gold medal haul at the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs.
“I’ve actually surprised myself here and what I have been able to do at this meet on the amount of training I’ve done, it has (actually) been crazy good,” said Short. “With two more months of training under my belt, I’m confident I’ll drop (my times) in the big finals.”
The three Australians ahead of Short are two of the world’s all-time greats in Grant Hackett (3:34.88) and Ian Thorpe (3:34.63) as well as his Rackley club mate, dual Olympian Thomas Neil (3:35.05).
Short admitted he had targeted Neil’s time tonight – the Rackley club record – missing it by 0.11, but under his own previous best time of 3:36.12 swum when he won the national title 12 months ago.
“I told Tommy before the race his time was ‘gone’ tonight…but I’ve now got two months to (make sure) I get it,” said Short.
And Scotsman Duncan Scott’s 2024 Commonwealth record of 3:34.46 will also be under siege with Frenchman Yannick Agnel’s longstanding world record of 3:32.25 – set back in 2012 also in reach for the Damien Jones-coached Short.
He will be joined in Beijing by his distance colleague, the distance diva Pallister, who added the 400m to the 1500m as well as her second place in the 100 and her win in the 200m in yet another impressive showing.
ST PETERS TOP TWO: Lani Pallister and Jenna Forrester deliver a winning quinella for SPW in the 400 free. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Pallister, like Short, took her races on from the opening 25m and charged through 16 short course laps to clock a new Australian All-Comers record of 3:54.55 – although well outside her own national mark of 3:51.87 (set last year). It was .03 quicker than the 2020 All-Comers time set by two-time Olympic 400m champion, Ariarne Titmus.
It was a special night for Pallister and her St Peters Western training partner Jenna Forrester, who stormed home to finish second in another qualifying time of 4:02.68 – after her Australian 400IM record on Night Two. She also qualifyied in the 200m backstroke and finishing third in the 200m freestyle to be an MVP on the Dolphins Team.
The 24-year-old from St Peters Western will line up in the 800m on the final night and a new pb would be nice on the final night – although a tough ask. Her personal best of 7:54.00 just happens to be the world record she set in Toronto (CAN) last October – with her 400m split that day of 3:54.16 – actually quicker than her winning 400m time from tonight. It’s an example of just how good that swim was, coming home in 3:59.84.
The race of the night came in the men’s 200 IM with 27-year-old experienced short course swimmer David Schlicht (MLC Aquatic) edging out 400 IM winner and new Australian record holder Will Petric (Nunawading) in an all Victorian finish. Schlict held on in a time of 1:53.45 to Petric’s 1:53.53 – both Beijing qualifiers.
17-year-old Lukas Dunn kept it all in the family with his stunning 17 Years Australian Age record time of 1:54.73 – eclipsing his famous triple Olympian father Matt Dunn‘s personal best time of 1:55.81 – an Australian record time set at the 1999 World Short Course in Hong Kong. It was an Australian record at the time that lasted seven years, set by one of Australia’s finest medley swimming exponents. Dunn completed a rare triple crown, taking the 200 IM World Short Course titles in 1995, 1997 and 1999.
It looks like this apple hasn’t fallen far from a famous family swimming tree.
PROJECT COMPLETE: Project manager by day, swimmer by night. Short Course specialist David Schlicht punching his IM ticket. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
RESULTS
2026 Australian Short Course Championships, Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, FINALS, Day 3:
MEN
400m freestyle
- Sam Short (Rackley, QLD) 3:35.16 (pb, QT)
- Elijah Winnington (Somerville House Aquatic, QLD) 3:39.24
- Tex Cross (Highlanders, WA) 3:41.53
100m butterfly
- Matt Temple (Marion, SA) 49.71
- Jesse Coleman (Bond University, QLD) 49.89 (pb)
- Ben Armbruster (Bond University, QLD) 50.00 (pb)
200m individual medley
- David Schlicht (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 1:53.45 (QT)
- Will Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 1:53.53 (pb, QT)
- Lukas Dunn (Knox Pymble, NSW) 1:54.73 (pb)
50m backstroke
- Isaac Cooper (St Andrews, QLD) 22.53 (QT)
- Mark Nikolaev (Somerset, QLD) 22.96
- Stuart Swinburn (City Of Sydney, NSW) 24.01
Multi Class
100m freestyle
PARA PALS: Rowan Crothers and Alex Tuckfield have put on quite the show at the Aussie SC. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
- Rowan Crothers (Marion, SA) 49.97
- Alex Tuckfield (Aquablitz Toongabbie, NSW) 51.66
- Joshua Alford (Uni of QLD) 56.39
200m individual medley
- Samuel Gould (Griffith University, QLD) 2:11.90
- Ethan Blockey (Coffs Harbour, NSW) 2:15.72
- Beau Matthews (Aquablitz Toongabbie, NSW) 2:09.89
WOMEN
MEN
400m freestyle
STROKED: Lani Pallister shows the style that has made her one off the best in the world. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
- Lani Pallister (St Peters Western, QLD) 3:54.55 (QT)
- Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:02.68 (pb)
- Jade Starr (Griffith University, QLD) 4:07.78
100m butterfly
SASI SWIM FROM CASTELLUZZO: SA’s Brittany Castelluzzo nails 100m fly in Beijing qualifier. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
- Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 56.00 (pb, QT)
- Claudia Fydler (Bond University, QLD) 56.94 (pb)
- Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) 56.98 (pb)
200m individual medley
KINDER DATE WITH BEIJING: Tara Kinder all smiles with her IM qualifying time. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:05.48 (pb, QT)
- Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:07.62 (pb)
- Amelie Smith (Rocky City, QLD) 2:08.76 (pb)
50m backstroke
HIGH ACHIEVER: Highlander’s Iona Anderson has owned the backstroke this week, completing the 50, 100 and 200 treble. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
- Iona Anderson (Highlanders, WA) 25.88 (pb, QT)
- Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews, QLD) 26.29
- Emily Jones (Hunter, NSW) 26.32
Multi Class
100m freestyle
- Madeleine McTernan (Griffith University) 58.95 (pb)
- Victoria Belando Nicholson (Uni of QLD) 1:03.67
- Sarah Howe (St Hilda’s WA) 1:04.22
200m individual medley
- Ikuha Zenno (Japan) 2:25.64
- Gemma Sellick (Warringah) 2:46.25
- Sienna Compton (NuSwim, NSW) 2:45.27
PARTING PIC….
GETTING TECHNICAL: Lani Pallister getting some finer points from Australia’s leading technical official Karen Macleod OAM. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).