Sam Williamson, Mollie O’Callaghan, Kaylee McKeown, Lani Pallister, Sam Short claim wins at Australian Open swimming championships

On an innocuous Wednesday morning 11 months ago, Sam Williamson thought his swimming career might be over.

On this Wednesday evening on the Gold Coast at the Australian Open swimming championships, he knew for certain that he was back.

“I didn’t actually realise it was a Wednesday this afternoon, it’s been a bit like Groundhog Day at Nationals,” Williamson said. 

“But yeah, almost 11 months to the day where I thought my swimming career was done. 

“I’m just over the Moon, probably going to go home and have a little cry.”

Williamson capped his comeback from that career-threatening knee injury, where he ruptured his patella tendon in a training accident, with a superb victory in the 50m breaststroke.

Sam Williamson didn’t think he’d be in this position less than a year after his injury. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

Retaining the title he won in 2025 —  in the last race he did before his injury — Williamson swam a brilliant 27.14 seconds, to hold off fast-finishing 100 metre champion Gideon Burnes (27.40) and a powerful-looking swim from Grayson Bell (27.66). 

“The initial diagnosis was, best case scenario, you’re back to where you were in 12 months. And we’ve done it in 10-and-a-half months,” he said.

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“Eleven months ago I was just lying on my back clutching my knee thinking, not ‘am I going to be able to swim again’, but ‘hell, am I even going to be able to walk again?’ 

“So to come away with another victory under the belt, it’s just a job well done.

“It’s something I couldn’t have done without the team behind me, my family, my girlfriend, our puppy dog, Alfred. 

“It’s a group effort. They say it takes a team, but it takes a village.”

Perhaps, given the success of the support dogs poolside on the Gold Coast, he may even be allowed some of that support network poolside.

“You’ll have to chat to someone at Swimming Australia,” Williamson said, flashing a smile.

“But fingers crossed so we can bring Alfred to a swim meet soon.”

Versatility the key for Perkins

Alexandria Perkins has added plenty of strings to her bow this week. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

Alex Perkins has been everywhere at this meet.

Butterfly, of course. She won the 50m and 100m earlier in the competition. 

Freestyle too, finishing 5th in the 100m and 4th in the 50m. 

And now, backstroke. 

“Well, the other option was a 200 fly,” Perkins told ABC Sport on pool side.

“And I’m finished with that one for the rest of my life, so I’ll stick with the 50.”

Sounds like a pretty good plan.

The 25-year-old added yet another string to her bow with a brilliant swim in the one-lap dash, claiming her third gold medal of the meet.

“Honestly, I don’t do any backstroke training,” Perkins said with a broad grin on her face. 

“It’s just something fun. I think the sprinting gets me across the line.”

It is clearly more than that. In fact, Perkins has proven her versatility to such an extent that she has been invited to the all-conquering women’s 4x100m relay camp for her freestyling ability.

“I think growing up I never thought I’d be anything but a butterflyer,” she said. 

“But having the opportunity to do freestyle and potentially be picked for those teams to support them is amazing.

“That women’s 4×100 [relay team] is just such an amazing team they’ve got so much history and if I ever get to be a part of that I’ll be really grateful for it.

“But I think it also takes the pressure off the fly, if that’s not there one day, I’ve got something else to focus on.”

Mollie O’Callaghan aiming high

Mollie O’Callaghan just can’t get away from the Gold Coast bugs. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan was in a league of her own in the 200m free, cruising to victory in 1 minute 53.69 seconds ahead of Lani Pallister (1:55.66) and New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather (1:55.72).

“I’m pleased with the 1.53,” O’Callaghan said.

“I think, in season, that’s so hard to do. 

“Getting experience from past meets have definitely helped me to get to this point. It’s just about now what I can do to reach a PB again one day. 

“There’s always dreams of doing more and I’ll set myself high goals, but I think doing two 1:53s [at the China Open last month and at the Australian Open] this year and potentially seeing what I can do at trials, I think I’m pretty stoked with that.”

O’Callaghan was asked about whether Ariarne TItmus’s world record 1:52.23 was on the cards and although the 22-year-old was not willing to put a date on when she would attempt it, she also noted that she was not keen to limit herself to that, instead aiming to dip under 1:52.

“I’ve mentioned on like swim podcasts that that’s a big dream of mine,” O’Callaghan said. 

“And I know it’s a dream of some other athletes too. 

“At the end of the day, it’s seeing if I can get there and, if I get close to it, then I’m happy with that because it’s such a hard task to do.”

Kaylee McKeown had to battle in her first 200m IM for a while. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

Kaylee McKeown faced a battle to beat Jenna Forrester in the women’s 200IM, surging in the final 50 to finish in 2:09.22.

“I think there comes a little bit of anxiety when you haven’t really raced it for so long,” McKeown said.

“There’s a little bit of expectation too, I have won an Olympic medal in that event and I’ve been close to swimming it at World Championships as well, so with that comes the pressure. 

“It wasn’t a fast time, but it was still something that it’s a starting point.”

Teen stars and established names clean up

Sienna Toohey won the women’s 50m breaststroke. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

In the 50m breaststroke, 17-year-old Sienna Toohey earned victory in 30.39, just ahead of Mia O’Leary (30.75) and fellow 17-year-old Lily Koch (31.25) in third.

In the distance events, Sam Short and Lani Pallister both completed the long-distance triples, claiming dominant victories in the 1,500m to go with their wins in the 800 and 400 over the previous days.

Lewis Clareburt came out on top of a superb race in the 400IM, where he went toe-to-toe with training partner Will Petric, the Kiwi overhauling the Aussie in the closing metres to win by 0.1 seconds.

Lewis Clareburt claimed his third title of the meet in the 400IM. (Getty Images: Mackenzie Sweetnam)

“It’s a few unknowns, because I’ve been in the programme less than four months,” Clareburt told ABC Sport on his shift from Wellington to Melbourne to train with the Nunawading club.

“So it’s a pretty quick shift, moving countries and having to set up your whole life here.

“But after this week I get so much more confidence in what I’ve been doing in the pool and being able to train with the Aussies and Petric every single day, I think it’s mutually beneficial for both of us. 

“You know, we’re racing each other, country versus country, but ultimately, we’re racing the rest of the world and we want this side of the world to be faster than the other side of the world.”

Lizzy Dekkers swam a superb race in the women’s 200m butterfly, cruising to a dominant victory in 2:05.39.

“I’m happy. That’s the fastest I’ve been for a while, which is good,” the 21-year-old said.

“This year is about trying to find my limits so that’s a good benchmark.”

Lizzy Dekkers claimed a superb win in the 200m butterfly. (Getty Images: Mackenzie Sweetnam)

Matt Temple held off 200m specialist Harrison Turner by just 0.1 seconds to win the men’s 100m butterfly in a solid time of 51.60, while Stuart Swinburn was victor in the men’s 200m backstroke.

“Yeah, definitely a few boys swum amazing there … the whole event has moved on a lot over the last few years,” Temple said poolside.

“Can’t wait for trials, it’s gunna be exciting.”

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Ikuha Nakahigashi (SM15) of Japan hit the wall first in the women’s multi class 200m IM, but it was ‘Lucky’ Lakeisha Patterson (SM9) who claimed victory by a single point, 764 to 763.

In the men’s multi class 200IM, Paris Paralympic champion Timothy Hodge (SM9) claimed victory with a very impressive 949 points, despite a phenomenal swim from Ricky Betar (SM14), who touched the wall first, with 16-year-old SM10 athlete Beau Matthews in third.

“Even with my head down I could see the shadows and I could see Rick push me all the way … it was a good dog fight all the way,” Hodge said poolside.

“I’m quite happy [with the time].”