Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2026 AUSTRALIAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

It is the 2nd day of the 2026 Australian Short Course Championships, with another packed prelims session.

There are not too many long events on the docket, with the longest being the men’s and women’s 400 IM. In addition to the longer of the two IMs, tonight’s slate features the 200 back, 50 breast, 100 free, and 400 IM, as well as multiclass events such as the 50 free, 100 IM, 50 breast, and 100 back.

We had several Australian, All Comers, and Oceanic Records fall on day 1, and with the speed that the field was showing in Sydney to open the competition, we are hoping that a few more are to come on day 2.

Women’s 200 Backstroke – Prelims

• World Record: 1:57.33, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2025
• Commonwealth Record: 1:57.33, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2025
• Australian Record: 1:57.33, Kaylee McKeown, 2025
• Allcomers Record: 1:58.94, Kaylee McKeown, 2020

‘A’ Finalists:

1. Iona Anderson (HLDR) – 2:03.27
2. Alyssa Burgess (HLDR) – 2:07.00
3. Jenna Forrester (STPET) – 2:07.39
4. Poppy Stephen (BGRAM) – 2:07.56
5. Hannah Fredericks (STPET) – 2:07.64
6. Ivy Miller (GUSC) – 2:09.63
7. Isabel Sheldrick (GUSC) – 2:12.60
8. Maisy Pronk (IMSC) – 2:12.70
9. Alyssa Leaver (NUN) – 2:13.18
10. Alannah Banks (MVC) – 2:13.44

It was a headline-worthy opening heat of day 2 as Jenna Forrester and Iona Anderson went toe to toe to open the action. Anderson applied the pressure early, opening in 28.33, nearly three seconds ahead of the field after only 25% of the race. At the 100 she turned in 59.14, well over three seconds ahead of Forrester. We saw plenty of fast swims on day 1, though this one showed that Anderson would be a tough competitor to stop, touching in a comfortable heat win in …, Forrester would take the runner-up finish in the heat in

Alyssa Burgess, who came into this meet seeded 8th with a 2:10.22 made a big jump in the prelims, throwing down a 2:07.00 to nab the 2nd seed  for the final. This swim outpaced Poppy Stephen by a half second in 2:07.56.

Hannah Fredericks claimed the heat win in the final circle-seeded heat in 2:07.64, slotting her in at 5th for the evening final.

Men’s 200 Backstroke – Prelims

• World Record: 1:45.12, Hubert Kós (HUN), 2025
• Commonwealth Record: 1:45.63, Mitch Larkin (AUS), 2015
• Australian Record: 1:45.63, Mitch Larkin, 2015
• Allcomers Record: 1:45.63, Mitch Larkin, 2015

‘A’ Finalists:

1. Joshua Edwards-Smith (GUSC) – 1:53.07
2. Stuart Swinburn (COSAC) – 1:53.39
3. Matthew Magnussen (NCOLL) – 1:53.83
4. Enoch Robb (GUSC) – 1:54.05
5. Harvey Lake (GUSC) – 1:56.02
6. Tate Sirianni (CRAN) – 1:56.22
7. Jack Morrow (STAND) – 1:57.04
8. Ryder Lambert (STHPT) – 1:57.66
9. Alexander Foreman (KDP) – 1:57.71
10. Max Stewart-Moore (WODN) – 1:58.08

Matthew Magnussen opened the men’s 200 in a relatively tight opening heat, not able to separate himself at the 100-meter mark, still flipping in the lead in 55.88; Jack Morrow followed by less than a second. Magnussen dominated the back half, growing his lead to more than two seconds with only 50 meters to go. He would go on to win the heat in 1:53.83, followed by Morrow in 1:57.04.

Stuart Swinburn opened heat 2 with a very convincing 100, holding a full body-length lead at the halfway point in 54.52. Swinburn felt pressure from Joshua Edwards-Smith, who used a huge back half to erase the lead and ultimately took the win in 1:53.07, leaving Swinburn in 2nd place in 1:53.39. Enoch Robb also delivered a strong swim in 1:54.05.

Ryder Lambert opened strong in heat 3, taking out his 200 back in 27.35, though he wasn’t the quickest to the 100 mark, as Alexander Foreman took that honor in 57.14. It appeared those two would be the only ones in contention for the lead, though Max Stewart-Moore made a late charge to the wall but finished 3rd in 1:58.08, squeaking his way into the top 10. Lambert did keep Foreman at bay for the rest of the heat, taking the win in 1:57.66, only 0.05 seconds quicker than Foreman in 1:58.71.

Women’s 50 Freestyle MC

Top Scorers:

Men’s 50 Freestyle MC

Top Scorers:

W0men’s 50 Breaststroke – Prelims

• World Record: 28.37, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2022
• Commonwealth Record: 28.56, Alia Atkinson (JAM), 2018
• Australian Record: 29.50, Sarah Katsoulis, 2009
• Allcomers Record: 28.37, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2022

‘A’ Finalists:

Men’s 50 Breaststroke – Prelims

• World Record: 24.95, Huseyin Sakci (TUR), 2021
• Commonwealth Record: 25.25, Cameron van der Burgh (RSA), 2009
• Australian Record: 26.02, Grayson Bell, 2024
• Allcomers Record: 26.02, Grayson Bell, 2024

‘A’ Finalists:

Women’s 100 IM MC

Top Scorers:

Men’s 100 IM MC

Top Scorers:

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record: 49.93, Kate Douglass (USA), 2025
• Commonwealth Record: 50.25, Cate Campbell (AUS), 2017
• Australian Record: 50.25, Cate Campbell, 2017
• Allcomers Record: 50.25, Cate Campbell, 2017

‘A’ Finalists:

Men’s 100 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record: 44.84, Kyle Chalmers (AUS), 2021
• Commonwealth Record: 44.84, Kyle Chalmers (AUS), 2021
• Australian Record: 44.84, Kyle Chalmers, 2021
• Allcomers Record: 45.16, Kyle Chalmers, 2022

‘A’ Finalists:

Women’s 50 Breaststroke MC

Top Scorers:

Men’s 50 Breaststr0ke MC

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Women’s 400 IM – Prelims

• World Record: 4:15.48, Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2024
• Commonwealth Record: 4:15.48, Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2024
• Australian Record: 4:28.72, Ellen Fullerton, 2009
• Allcomers Record: 4:28.72, Ellen Fullerton, 2009

‘A’ Finalists:

Men’s 400 IM – Prelims

• World Record: 3:54.81, Daiya Seto (JPN), 2019
• Commonwealth Record: 3:57.91, Thomas Fraser-Holmes (AUS), 2015
• Australian Record: 3:57.91, Thomas Fraser-Holmes, 2015
• Allcomers Record: 3:57.91, Thomas Fraser-Holmes, 2015

‘A’ Finalists:

Women’s 100 Backstroke MC

Top Scorers:

Men’s 100 Backstroke MC

Top Scorers: