World Championships, Day One Finals: Australian Sam Short’s Midas Touch Out-Muscles Olympic Champion To Claim Gold

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.

MIDAS MUSCLE: Sam Short celebrates his 400m freestyle world title with a lane rope flex. Photo Courtesy Giorgio Scala (Deep Blue Media)

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World Championships, Day 1: Men’s 400m. Freestyle – Australian Sam Short’s Midas Touch Out Muscles Olympic Champion To Claim Opening Gold

Queensland teenager Sam Short has joined swimming royalty to become the fifth Australian swimmer to win the men’s 400 metres freestyle with a slashing Midas touch in the opening event on the opening night of the World Aquatics Championship in Fukuoka.

The 19-year-old clocked the fourth fastest time in history, touching the wall in 3:40.60 to beat Tokyo Olympic champion Ahmed Hafnaoui (Tunisia) just 0.10 behind in 3:40.70 – – with Germany’s silver medallist from 2022 Lukas Martens, taking the bronze in 3:42.20.

RAISING THE ROOF: Sam Short going off in Fukuoka. Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Only Germany’s world record holder Paul Biedermann (3:40.07), Australia’s three-time world champion Ian Thorpe (3:40.08) and China’s Sun Yang (3:40.14) have swum faster.

Short joins fellow Australians, Kieren Perkins (1994), Thorpe (1998, 2001 and 2003), Grant Hackett (2005) and Elijah Winnington (2022) on a coveted list of Australian swimming greats to have won the 400m world title.

Winnington, who won the title in Budapest last year was 7th in tonight’s final in 3:44.26.

Short wasted no time taking the race by the throat, taking the lead in 53.58 at the 100m mark, through the 200m in 1:49.29 and the 300m in 2:45.49, all the while it was Hafnaoui, who out-touched Australia’s Jack McLoughlin too snatch the Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, who stalked Short.

The tall Tunisian kept creeping up with his long, loping stroke, to take the lead at the 350m mark in 3:13.60 – just 0.17 ahead of the Australian boy.

The title would come down to that final 50 with Short claiming Hafnaoui with 25 metres to go before the Tunisian dug deep again and the pair went stroke for stroke, Short finding something at the end to win in a fingernail finish.

When asked how he felt the boy from the Rackley Centenary Swim Team and trains under coach Damien Jones in the 2032 Olympic city of Brisbane, said it was: “Bloody amazing! I knew it was going to be a race in two with two laps left. He’s the Olympic champion…and it gave me goose bumps just thinking I had to race him…I was just glad I got my hand on the wall first.

“It’s a dream come true….and it hasn’t really sunk in yet..but I claimed it and it feels good to flex in front of everyone. I’m stoked. I couldn’t wait to get on the lane rope and start flexing, to be honest. That’s what you dream of as a young guy, I reckon. I was over the moon.

Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia, silver, Samuel Short of Australia, gold, Lukas Martens of Germany, bronze show the medals after competing in the 400m Freestyle Men Final during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 23rd, 2023.

LONG AND THE THE SHORT: New Aussie golden boy, Sam Short flanked by (left) silver medallist Ahmed Hafnaoui (Tunisia) and bronze medallist Lukas Martens (Germany) Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto.Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

“I had never made World Championships final individually up until (today) so I went after it this morning and threw (in) a little PB.

“I knew I could definitely go faster tonight. I think that challenge from Ahmed in the last 100 really brought me to lift to the task, and I got there in the end.

“I’m filled with adrenaline right now. I’m sure I’m going to be hurting later tonight, but stoked. I reckon if I had to put it together again tomorrow, I could probably replicate that swim.

On Hafnaoui’s final sprint?

“I knew Ahmed won that sprint finish in Tokyo, and I could see him. He’s a big guy. I saw him coming at me in that last 100m, and that last 25, I just threw everything at the wall. To be honest, even if I got second, with that time, I would’ve still been happy,” aid Short.

And on joining the likes of Perkins,. Thorpe and Hackett?

“They’re my heroes. I think they’re some of Australia’s best athletes ever. It’s an honour to be with them, and hopefully I can continue to move forward and maybe one day rival Thorpey in the rankings.

A disappointed Hafnaoui said: “I’m a little bit upset about getting second. But when you see it’s like two-hundredths, it doesn’t matter. I’m the fifth male ever and the third with the new suit, African record. I’m feeling happy after that. I felt upset a little bit after the race, but I’m good now. I’m going to move on and focus on the 800m and the 1,500m and just do my best and see what happens.”

Hafnaoui was full off praise for Short saying: “Samuel and the guys in the final just pushed me to do my best and pushed me to hold this time. We pushed each other and 3:40 is a super fast time……”

SHOUT SHOUT: Sam Short lets it all out…shouting about the things he can’t do without…delivering a world championship swim to get excited about. Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

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