Australia’s World Champion Breaststroker Sam Williamson Celebrates Successful Return At Victorian State Championships
Australia’s world champion breaststroker Sam Williamson completed a successful comeback to racing in Melbourne last night after suffering a debilitating training accident in May last year.
The 28-year-old won his signature 50m breaststroke final on the opening night of the 2026 Mattioli Victorian State Swimming Championships to launch his long-awaited return to competition at the Melbourne Sports And Aquatic Centre.
After clocking an encouraging 27.08 in the morning heats Williamson lined up in the final full of confidence, recording 27.15 for another impressive swim, nine months after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon (that connects the knee bone to the shinbone tibia) in an agonising training accident.
ONE FOR THE TROPHY CABINET: Sam Williamson proudly shows off his 2024 Doha World Championship gold. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) had been warming up for a swimming session by doing a box jump off a run-up, among other exercises – the painful accident robbing him of the chance to defend his 50m title at last year’s Singapore World Championships.
At the time Williamson admitted “the pain was excruciating, but the pain didn’t really come anywhere near close to the immediate realisation that, that was my season done and that was me done for the foreseeable future.”
Williamson had won the 50m breaststroke gold at the 2024 World’s in Doha in a new Oceania and Australian record time of 26.32 – with his long term sights set on a second Olympics in LA28 for the debut of the 50m form strokes.
A dream that was re-ignited last night in just over 27 seconds and in front of his supportive hometown crowd.
After nine months of blood, sweat and tears through a daily rehab routine, Williamson has re-launched his assault for LA28 with his immediate sights set on the Australian team for this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Williamson saying after the race: “It’s been a pretty big nine months after unfortunately suffering (that) incredible debilitating injury late last year.
“Tonight ’m just so proud of myself and incredibly proud of the team I’ve got behind me and just getting back up on the blocks tonight was a huge effort.
“I’m now looking forward to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow…that’s the goal.”
TRUE BRITT: Brittany Castelluzzo Aust World Trials 2025 Photo Courtesy Delly Carr Swimming Australia
In other highlights South Australian pair Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) and dual Olympian Matt Temple (Marion, SA) secured the 100m freestyle double – Castelluzzo clocking a new personal best of 54.30 in the most impressive win of the night.
The 2025 World champion 4x200m freestyler Castelluzzo powering away to defeat Queensland’s Chloe Rowe-Hagans (St Andrews, QLD) 55.40 and Sema Olowoniyi (Nunawading, VIC) 56.95 – in a handy dress rehearsal for a 4x100m freestyle spot.
With Temple landing the men’s final in 49.30 ahead of New Zealand Olympian and 400IM world champion Lewis Clareburt (Nunawading, VIC) 49.61 and Cameron Bladen (Tigersharks, VIC) 49.93.
Clareburt celebrating his official move to Victorian power house club, Nunawading and Head Coach Jol Finck with a gold medal swim in the 200m butterfly, clocking an impressive 1:56.30 ahead of club mate and Paris Olympian Will Petric and the ever-present Temple who dead-heated for silver in 1:58.42.
IM ON THE MOVE: Kiwi medley star Lewis Clareburt now calling Nunawading home. Photo Courtesy: NZ Swimming
Two-time Olympian Clareburt joining Petric and a host of young guns including Australian Age stars Samuel Higgs (ex-Warringah Aquatic, NSW) and Oscar Kreutzberger (Ex-North Albury, NSW) in an IM super squad.
Telling Sportzhub NZ the decision to move from Auckland to Melbourne was driven by both performance goals and the desire to be part of a world-leading training environment.
“Being surrounded by this group day-in day-out is going to allow me to keep developing and pushing myself. I’m also 26 and have lived in New Zealand all my life, so this is an exciting opportunity for my partner and me to experience a new country and culture,” Clareburt said.
“We’re looking to create a really strong medley training group in Melbourne... right now, the strongest medley squad is in the US and they’re winning the international medals.
“If medley swimmers from Australia and New Zealand want to be on the podium, we need something similar in the southern hemisphere.”
Clareburt believing training daily with other world-class medley specialists will elevate his preparation for future pinnacle events.
2026 Mattioli Victorian Open Championships, Day 1, Finals:
MEN
100m freestyle
- Matt Temple (Marion, SA) 49.30
- Lewis Clareburt (Nunawading, VIC) 49.61
- Cameron Bladen (Tigersharks, VIC) 49.93
400m freestyle
- Tommy Lane (Nunawading, VIC) 3:54.83
- Luke Higgs (Warringah, NSW) 3.55.03
- Nicholas Sloman (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 3:57.88
50m backstroke
- Isaac Cooper (St. Andrews, QLD) 25.09
- Matsuyama Riku (Japan) 25.36
- Jack Morrow (St. Andrews, QLD) 25.92
50m breaststroke
- Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 27.15
- Cameron Jordan (Bendigo East, VIC) 27.95
- Felix Dressell-De Bruyn (Melbourne, VIC) 28.08
200m butterfly
- Lewis Clareburt (Nunawading, VIC) 1:56.30
- Will Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 1:58.42
- Matt Temple (Marion, SA) 1L58.42
Multi-Class
100m butterfly
- Nicholas Layton (Vicentre, VIC) 57.58
- Cl Pearse (Nunawading, VIC) 59.10
- Rowan Crothers (Marion, SA) 1:00.88
50m breaststroke
- Ahmed Kelly (Yarra Plenty, VIC) 56.83
- Bradley Doolan (Geelong, VIC) 48.33
- Lockie Bellion (Traralgon, VIC) 38.09
100m breaststroke
- Eli Kerr (Warnambool, VIC) 1:16.35
- James Logan (Geelong Sharks, VIC) 1:11.82
- Bradley Doolan (Geelong, VIC) 1:34.70
400IM
- Eli Kerr (Warnambool, VIC) 5:06.26
- Lockie Bellion (Traralgon, VIC) 4:53.72
- James Logan (Geelong Sharks, VIC) 5:02.78
WOMEN
100m freestyle
- Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 54.30
- Chloe Rowe-Hagans (St. Andrews, QLD) 55.40
- Semra Olowoniyi (Nunawading, VIC) 56.95
800m freestyle
- Erika Fairweather (North Shore, NZ) 8:25.39
- Molly Walker (Southern Performance, SA) 8.36.11
- Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA)
100m breaststroke
- Lily Koch (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 1:08.26
- Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 1:09.68
- Reidel Smith (Nunawading, VIC) 1:11.71
200m backstroke
- Alyssa Burgess (Highlanders, WA) 2:14.25
- Alannah Banks (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:15.39
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:16.49
50m butterfly
- Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 26.49
- Chloe Rowe-Hagans (St Andrews, QLD) 26.60
- Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews, QLD) 26.95
400IM
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 4:48.37
- Lexi Harrison (Swimming Metro East, NSW) 4.54.12
- Hope Wang (Phoenix Aquatics, NZ) 5:04.51
Multi-Class
400m freestyle
- Sarah Howe (Ballarat Gold, VIC) 5:10.58
- Lili-Fox Mason (Wharenui, NZ) 5:16.75
- Mackenzie Gibbs (Sale, VIC) 5:22.19
100m backstroke
- Jasmin Fullgrabe (Marion, SA) 1:15.66
- Kuba Nakahigashi (Ivanhoe, VIC) 1:12.03
- Lili-Fox Mason (Wharenui, NZ) 1:21.26
50m breaststroke
- Ruby Halliday (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 44.54
- Anna Leighton (Ballarat Gold, VIC) 43.83
- Grace Rider (Ivanhoe Swim, VIC) 40.09
100m butterfly
- Sarah Howe (Ballarat Gold, VIC) 1:14.59
- Lili-Fox Mason (Wharenui, NZ) 1:20.07
- Dorothy Pasko (Hunter, NSW) 1:20.46
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