Aust Age Champs: Commonwealth Games Hopeful Henry Allan Rockets Up The 100m backstroke World Rankings In 53.45
Regional areas have long been a lifeblood of swimming in Australia and the 2026 National Age Championships have continued to showcase the latest batch of rising stars from around the country.
RANKINGS RAIDER: Henry Allan is steaming in authority on the 2026 Australian Age.Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Night five of the week-long meet at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre was a classic example with the 17-year-old on everyone’s lips, Henry Allan from Bendigo East in country Victoria breaking another National record, this one owned by dual Olympian and 2024 world champion Isaac Cooper.
While 13-year-old Nash Hawkins from Corrimal Swim Club in the Illawarra, south of Sydney also joined in the party, breaking a long-standing Zac Stubblety-Cook mark.
MAKING A SPLASH: Corrima;’s Nash Hawkins doing it for the Illawarra. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
First up it was Allan, who had smashed Mitch Larkin‘s 200m backstroke National Age record on the opening day, erased Cooper’s 17-years boys 100m backstroke All-Comers, clocking 53.45 to sneak under Cooper’s mark 53.49 by just 0.04secs.
Rocketing the talented teen into the 2026 World Top Ten – sitting in ninth spot and the fastest Australian male this season – a time that would have seen him win last week’s Australian Open.
He now has the sixth fastest time by an Australian in history – with five Olympians ahead of the rising backstroke star.
100 Metres Backstroke
World Record: 51.60 Thomas Ceccon
Australian Top Ten
- 52.11 Mitch Larkin
- 52.97 Hayden Stoeckel
- 53.10 Ashley Delaney
- 53.38 Bradley Woodward
- 53.43 Isaac Cooper
- 53.45 Henry Allan
- 53.47 Josh Beaver
- 53.55 Ben Treffers
- 53.59 William Yang
- 53.78 Matt Welsh
His winning 200m backstroke time of 1:57.56, earlier in the week at the Australian Age, also sees him in the Top 20 on the world rankings – equal on times with none other than French superstar Leon Marchard at 17th.
And then Hawkins announced his arrival on the National stage by erasing Stubblety-Cook’s 13-year boys’ 200m breaststroke Australian record of 2:24.83 – which had stood since 2012 – with a cracking new time of 2:23.05 – improving some seven seconds from his NSW record time set in December 2025.
Stubblety-Cook showed his class by immediately “socialling” a round of applause for the youngster.
MAKING A BIGGER SPLASH. Somerset’s Lemny Grigor. Photo Courtesy Swimming Australia
While Somerset, Gold Coast teen Leny Grigor continued on his record breaking run, delivering a cracking 2:12.48 to claim gold, in an All-comers record and another likely swim at the Junior Pan Pacs in Vancouver this August.
He was just outside Matthew Wilson’s National record that was set in 2015 to show he is in career best form. Earlier this week, Grigor ripped a lifetime best to smash Mitch Larkin’s 400IM Australian record in the 16 years final – a record set 16 years ago. His 4:16.15 erasing Larkin’s 4:20.48.
Overall pointscore leaders Carlile (NSW) is in good hands with Age coach Daniel Marshall guiding the younger age groups, led by 13-year-olds Molly Young and Mia Hoo – who are dominating the medals.
YOUNG GUN: Carlile’s Molly Young on her way to a Night 5 double. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Young claimed back-to-back gold medals in the 13-years girl’s 200m freestyle (2:04.79) and the 100m fly (1:03.12), adding to her 400m and 1500m freestyles and 200m butterfly National titles.
With Hoo picking up silver behind her club mate in the 400 and 1500m freestyle.
Hoo is part of the Australian Junior open water cohort that will head to Argentina later in the year to contest the World Aquatics Junior Open Water Championships.
For some, like 13-year-old first-timers, the Australian Age Championships is a stepping block onto the national stage, for others an opportunity to be selected for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Vancouver later this year.
In other events:
17 Years Girls’ 400m Individual Medley: Rocky City’s Amelie Smith , another country talent from Rockhampton in Central QLD, picked up her fifth gold medal of the meet when she stopped the clock in a personal best time of at 4:42.66, well under qualifying time for Junior Pan Pacific Championships. Chandler QLD’s Ava Gaske was next to wall in 4:51.64, followed by New Zealand visitor Ariella Riley (4:59.88) and Maya Bearman (Logan Vikings – 5:01.76).
AMELIE SMITH in 400IM 2026 Australian Age Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
15 Years Boys’ 50m Freestyle: Somerset’s Koa Stotz (22.89) used all 200cm of his reach to out- touch Kai Perry(Chandler, QLD) 23.51 and Hudson Hegarty (Knox Pymble, NSW) 23.63. Stotz had already claimed a new National Age record in the 50m breaststroke at this meet. He now holds the 13, 14 and 15 years boys’ National age records.
KOA STOTZ 2026 Australian Age Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
16 Years Boys’ 50m Freestyle: Christopher Montana(Trinity Grammar, NSW) beat home fastest qualifier Ethan Haegebaert (Knox Pymble) to continue his dominance in this age group.
CHRISTOPHER MONTANA 2026 AUSTRALIAN AGE Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Simming Australia)
Haegebaert sizzled in the morning preliminary heats, clocking 22.39 that missed Kyle Chalmers’ Australian and All-comers record by just 0.06.
But it was Montana who claiming gold in the final in 22.59 ahead of Haegebaert (22.77). Montana had already smashed his own National record in the boys’ 16-year 50m breaststroke earlier in the meet. Knox Pymble NSW’s Lukas Dunn touched third (23.07).
See full results: https://liveresults.swimming.org.au/sal/2026Age/