NSW State Open, Day 2 Finals: Alexandria Perkins Claims Third Gold; Kai Taylor Wins 200 Freestyle Thriller
Queensland’s World championship bronze medallist Alexandria Perkins and a valuable player in Australia’s build-up to LA28, has continued on her winning ways with her third gold medal on the second night of the 2026 NSW State Open Championships.
Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) claimed the 100m butterfly title in a solid 57.36, touching ahead of Sweden’s Louise Hansson 57.58 and her new Sunshine Coast teammate from NSW, Bella Grant 58.36.
Giving the two-time individual medallist from last year’s Singapore World’s the 50/100m fly double, adding to her win in the 100m freestyle at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
Perkins, under coach Michael Sage, has emerged as one of the most valuable assets in Australia’s women’s team, following the retirement of Australia’s most successful Olympian, Emma McKeon.
Like McKeon, Perkins is a natural butterflyer, with speed to burn, also an emerging freestyler, showing she can deliver in relays – a major part of Australia’s international successes.
Perkins swimming the butterfly leg in Australia’s World Championship silver medal-winning 4x100m medley relay team in Singapore – her 10thmajor international relay medal.
The 25-year-old, the third fastest Australian 100m butterflyer with her 56.19 behind McKeon and Jess Schipper and with a personal best of 53.53 in the 100m freestyle, could well force her way into Australia’s all-conquering 4x100m freestyle relay squad and holding down the butterfly leg in the 4x100m medley relay.
Meanwhile the most exciting final of the night saw Olympic and World Championship relay medallist Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) hang on to win a real nail biter in the men’s 200m freestyle.
The 22-year-old led from start to finish – holding on to take the win in 1:47.99 – just six 100ths of a second (0.06) ahead of second-placed IM specialist, Paris teammate Will Petric (Nunawading, VIC) in 1:48.05 who edged out Marcus Da Silva (Cranbrook, NSW) 1:48.14 by just nine 100ths (0.09).
Nunawading-based New Zealand Olympic and World Championship IM gun Lewis Clareburt was fourth home in 1:48.20 and Anders McAlpine (Griffith University, QLD) fifth in 1:48.38 – less than half-a-second separating the top five and less than a second separating the top eight.
There was another tight one in the women’s 50m freestyle final with 21-year-old Chloe Rowe-Hagans (St Andrews, QLD) under coach Ashley Delaney clocking her personal best of 25.21 to edge out established pair Milla Jansen (Bond, QLD) 25.29 and Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) 25.38 – in another fingernail finish – just 0.17 between the top three.
And the women’s 100m backstroke saw Olympian and 2024 World Championship silver medallist Iona Anderson (Highlanders, WA) win the final in 59.87 following the withdrawal of Kaylee McKeown (USC Spartans, QLD) who had clocked the fastest time in the preliminaries of 59.21.
Hannah Fredericks (St Peters Western, QLD) finished second in 1:00.93 with Elizabeth Gan (Sydney University, NSW) third in 1:02.11.
2026 NSW State Open Championships, Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, Day 2, FINALS:
MEN
200m freestyle
- Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:47.99
- William Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 1:48.05
- Marcus Da Silva (Cranbrook, NSW) 1:48.14
800m freestyle
- Matthew Galea (St Peters Western, QLD) 8:06.37
- James Smith (Darwin, NT) 8:13.14
- Harry Hay (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 8:128.62
200m backstroke
- Stuart Swinburn (City of Sydney, NSW) 1:58.80
- Henry Allan (Bendigo East, VIC) 1:59.45
- Rishabh Das (India) 2:00.14
100m breaststroke
- Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 1:01.01
- Zac Stubblety-Cook (Griffith University, QLD) 1:01.28
- Gideon Burnes (Bond, QLD) 1:01.33
50m butterfly
- Joseph Hamson (Knox Pymble, NSW) 24.09
- Jack Hendy (New Zealand) 24.21
- Carter Swift (Griffith University, QLD) 24.29
200m individual medley
- Will Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 1:58.98
- Lewis Clareburt (Nunawading VIC/New Zealand) 1:59.15
- Se-Bom Lee (Sydney Olympic Swim Club, NSW) 2:02.81
50m freestyle Multi-Class
- Tom Gallagher (St Peters Western, QLD) 23.99
- Alex Tuckfield (Aquablitz Toongabbie, NSW) 24.99
- Alex Saffy (Woden Valley, ACT) 26.09
400m freestyle Multi-Class
- Daniel Rigby (Knox Pymble, NSW) 4:37.05
- Joshua Alford (University of Queensland, QLD) 4:32.98
- Knox Gibson (Orange Aquatic Club, NSW) 5:01.73
100m backstroke Multi-Class
- Benjamin Hance (St Andrews, QLD) 57.45
- Ethan Blockey (Coffs Harbour, NSW) 1:06.10
- Beau Matthews (Aquablitz Toongabbie, NSW)
WOMEN
50m freestyle
- Chloe Rowe-Hagans (St Andrews, QLD) 25.21
- Milla Jansen (Bond, QLD) 25.29
- Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) 25.38
400m freestyle
- Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:07.92
- Amelia Weber (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:13.96
- Milana Tapper (New Zealand) 4:14.27
100m backstroke
- Iona Anderson (Highlanders, WA) 59.87
- Hannah Fredericks (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:00.93
- Elizabeth Gan (Sydney University, NSW) 1:02.11
*Kaylee McKeown clocked 59.21 in the heats but withdrew from the final.
200m breaststroke
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:24.89
- Matilda Smith (Miami, QLD) 2:27.06
- Sienna Toohey (Albury, NSW) 2:27.25
100m butterfly
- Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 57.36
- Louise Hansson (Sweden) 57.58
- Bella Grant (USC Spartans, QLD) 58.36
50m freestyle Multi-Class
- Jasmine Greenwood (Woden Valley, ACT) 27.84
- Keira Stephens (Griffith University, QLD) 30.14
- Emmeline Giraud (Maroubra, NSW) 31.51
400m freestyle Multi-Class
- Emmeline Giraud (Maroubra, NSW) 5:09.22
- Jade Lucy (SLC Aquadot, NSW) 5:01.60
- Georgia Bealing (Aquablitz Toongabbie, NSW) 6:21.58
100m backstroke Multi-Class
- Gemma Sellick (Warringah Aquatic, NSW) 1:16.43
- Elodie Sebire (The Hills, NSW) 1:39.57
- Michelle Fawer (Engadine, NSW) 1:19.74