2025 AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Monday, April 21st – Thursday, April 24th
- Brisbane Aquatic Centre, Queensland, Australia
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- Entries
The 2025 Australian Open Championships are set to begin on Monday, April 21st, and span through Thursday, April 24th at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.
Although this is a non-World Championship qualifying competition, the meet represents an important tune-up and training milestone ahead of the all-important Trials on the agenda for June.
The entry list is a veritable ‘who’s who’ of Australian swimming, although not everyone will be joining the party. Notable absences include Olympians Kyle Chalmers, Tommy Neill, Sam Short, Matt Temple and Iona Anderson.
One swimmer whose name we were perhaps not expecting is Oceanian record holder Isaac Cooper.
Last December, 21-year-old Cooper said he would be taking a break and hitting a ‘massive reset button’ with no clear timeline on his return.
The St. Andrew’s ace is entered in a succint program of the men’s 50m free, 50m fly and 50m back here.
On-fire Kaylee McKeown already crushed the world’s top-ranked times across the women’s 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke events last month and the Griffith star is back for more.
23-year-old McKeown is set to add the 200m IM to the trio of backstroke contests in her warm-up for June’s Trials.
We’ll also get to see Olympic champion Cameron McEvoy in his second competition since winning 50m free gold at the 2024 Olympic Games. McEvoy put up a solid 21.70 at last year’s Japan Open.
Several non-Aussies will be among the mix, with the likes of New Zealand athletes Erika Fairweather and Lewis Clareburt, along with Italian Olympic champion Thomas Ceccon who continues to train down under.
24-year-old Ceccon is entered in a hefty lineup of seven events including the men’s 100m/200m free, 50m/100m/200m back and 50m/100m fly.
We’ll take a closer look at some of the key matchups as the competition draws nearer. For now, check out the high-profile stars ready to rumble.
Key Entrants
Ben Armbruster
Jaclyn Barclay
Isabella Boyd
Haig Buckingham
Jack Carr
Hannah Casey
Brittanny Castelluzzo
Thomas Ceccon (ITA)
Joshua Collett
Isaac Cooper
Lewis Clareburt (NZL)
Marcus Da Silva
Joshua Edwards-Smith
Erika Fairweather (NZL)
Jenna Forrester
Matthew Galea
Kai Gilbert
Maximillian Giulian
Darragh Greene (IRL)
Chelsea Gubecka
Zac Incerti
Shayna Jack
Moesha Johnson
Tara Kinder
Se-Bom Lee
Hayley MacKinder
Cam McEvoy
Kaylee McKeown
Thomas Nowakowski
Mollie O’Callaghan
Lani Pallister
William Petric
Ella Ramsay
David Schlicht
Brendon Smith
Zachary Stubblety-Cook
Flynn Southam
Carter Swift (NZL)
Kai Taylor
Sam Williamson
Elijah Winnington
Bradley Woodward
Olivia Wunsch
Joshua Yong
I’m looking beyond Isaac Cooper now to that young 16 yr old guy in the 100 backstroke .. this past Olympiad Isaac has proven himself to be quite unreliable unstable and volatile about swimming Olympic events
Henry still has a bit of work to do but 54.2 at 16 is looking promising for sure.
According to Nuoto, a 54.15 is the 25th fastest 18 or under male in history.
If Allan can just drop 0.08 at age champs next week he’ll be top 25 juniors of all time at just 16.
Cooper has already said he will never swim an LCM 100 again. Assuming he is still swimming by LA, he will be putting all his eggs in the 50 free basket.
Allan is definitely the best prospect we have for LA (and beyond)
There is some young guy in QLD who is 14 and holds the National 50m back record. Age compared he is quicker than Cooper and Allen and is one to watch.
Cooper is a sprinter and not interested in 100s. He is a very focused guy and is going nowhere
Chalmers, Short and Neill are all competing internationally this week so it makes sense they’re missing. I believe Anderson is still living in Scotland. Matt Temple missing is quite a question mark though when he competed last week.
Was kind of hoping Kaylee might try out the 200 free this year since post-Olympic is usually a bit of a down year but doesn’t look like it so far.
can’t wait to see Kaylee again. love watching her
I’m bummed that she’s not doing the 2 free. Hope she hasn’t turned her back on the event
I’d love her to do it as well.
However does she struggle with big schedules, eg her 200im in Paris was poor by what we expected.
Is Leon still in Aus? It would be good to see him racing out there.
He’s gone
I’m just waiting for the day we wake up and see Ceccon has declared he’s switching his sporting nationality to Australia due to enjoying his time there so much and then Australia becomes indestructible in the 400 medley relay for years to come
A 51.60 backstroke and a 47 low 100 free split? Yes please
Without a good female flier he wouldn’t even make the mixed medley though lol
Ceccon + Williamson + Temple + Chalmers would be a force to be reckoned with.
Only if Williamson can find some consistency.
Yeah… he was probably also sick in Paris though.
So Lani Pallister has changed training programs, SPW on her entries here.
Troyy noticed this a couple of weeks ago but I guess it’s confirmed now.
She talked about moving to a proper distance program but SPW doesn’t really have one. We’re going to need her 200 to be on point if we want any chance of winning that relay this year
Yes all credit to Troyy for noticing this first, absolutely confirmed now. Her Mum told her to “fly free” in a response to Lani’s altitude insta post, I guess that must have been their last official training session together 🤷. SPW club 4 X 200 keeps rolling on even after Kiah’s retirement.
Seems big enough news that it would be worth a mention.
Massive change for Lani and possibly Australian Women’s Swimming 🤷.
As GOATKeown mentioned, SPW not known for their “distance” program, so maybe something going on in that space at SPW or Lani thinking more along the lines of 2/4/8 hundred concentration (SPW mid distance well documented and credentialed), time will tell.
It would be a shame for her to turn away from the 1500.
That’s my opinion also.
I am surprised Lani (down the Gold Coast at Griffith already) didn’t investigate linking up with Moesha at Miami. A Good distance program about to re-emerge down at Miami, there’s no way Swimming Australia would facilitate Moesha moving back there without an appropriate coach for her level. No doubt in my mind something about to become obvious on the coaching front at that pool.
That’s really interesting! I hadn’t even noticed and just read her IG post now. Really surprised after how well she’s gone in Germany but I guess she only wanted to be away for so long.
Any ideas who the coach could be? Could the new open water head coach Possenti be involved?
About Lani, is she too versatile for a pure distance program? Would she still be able to chase her goals in the 200 in such a program? I actually like that she’s gone to SPW but still hope Boxall can make the 1500 work.
So many questions with limited answers 😉. Fernando would be well aware of Moesha’s move but as for a coach at Miami for her, I can’t answer.
Lani will do just fine at SPW, it is an appropriate program for her but I am curious whether she had any thoughts on a move to Miami, might have been an interesting combination between Moesha and Lani. Probably never know the answer now.
Bigger news to come??? Lani’s arrival at SPW might be a strong indication a certain swimmer is set to retire early. Word is Dean wouldn’t have taken Lani on if Arnie was coming back. Watch this space… here’s hoping those rumours are way off the mark!
Oh Jeeezus, that’s a massive scoop if it’s true.
Dean has handled multiple personalities in similar events before so I’m not sure why he would only accept to take on Lani if Arnie was retiring, doesn’t make sense given his history.
Yeah I don’t believe it at all.
Screen name gives it away for me.
It’s April’s fool day in the US.
Yeah if Ariarne can continue to do these extended breaks and still perform coming out of them like she did last cycle, it would be hard for me to see her retiring before LA.
Stranger things have happened, though, I guess.
She has had quite a few breaks but this one is quite a bit longer so wouldn’t be surprised if she struggles more to regain form.
lol people love to spread rumours about SPW.
I guess that’s what happens when you’re the most successful training group in the world!
I believe Mcevoy was at the 2024 Japan open at the end of the year. He won the 50 free in a 21.70.
You’re right, I forgot!
https://staging.swimswam.com/olympic-champion-cameron-mcevoy-hits21-70-50free-at-2024-japan-open-video/#:~:text=2024%20JAPAN%20OPEN,-Friday%2C%20November%2029th&text=The%202024%20Japan%20Open%20concluded,in%2Dseason%20swim%20of%2021.70.