Australian Age, Day Seven: Sienna Toohey, Henry Allan and Bryce Krause Rev Up Record Rumble
Sienna Toohey, Henry Allan and Bryce Krause have served up three tantalising Australian records as one of the fastest Australian Age Championships starts to wind up at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.
Night Seven of the nine-day meet saw emerging 16-year-olds Toohey (Albury, NSW) and Allan (East Bendigo, VIC) charge into the Australian Open All-Time Top Ten – with their National Age records.
RAISING THE BAR: Sienna Toohey (Albury, NSW) on a record roll in Brisbane. PHOTO COURTESY: Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia.
Toohey with her 30.73 in the 50m breaststroke, breaking Olympic gold medallist Chelsea Hodges’ 2018 mark of 31.28, making her the ninth fastest all-time Australian – and knocking Athens Olympic silver medallist Brooke Hanson’s 2005 time out of the Top Ten after 20 years.
Toohey’s win securing her fourth gold and her second Australian Age Record after her 1:07.07 mark in 100m breaststroke, her 200m breaststroke (2:27.92) and 200IM (2:16.26)
Coached by Wayne Gould, the rise of Albury’s Toohey has come at the perfect time for the Dolphins’ breaststroke stocks following the retirements of Olympic medallists Hodges andJenna Strauch
Australian All-Time
50 Metres Breaststroke:
(World Record 29.16 Rüta Meilutyté)
30.05 Chelsea Hodges (2022
30.16 Sarah Katsoulis (2009)
30.24 Leiston Pickett (2011)
30.31 Jade Edmistone (2006)
30.45 Tarnee White (2009)
30.55 Leisel Jones (2006)
30.58 Georgia Bohl (2016)
30.59 Jessica Hansen (2017)
30.73 Sienna Toohey (2025)
30.77 Jenna Strauch (2022)
30.89 Brooke Hanson (2005)
HENRY ALLAN Photo Courtesy: Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia
Allan, with his 24.88 in the 50m backstroke breaks his own National mark of 25.05 after the boy from Bendigo, coached by John Jordan, lowered world champion Isaac Cooper’s previous time of 25.27, making him the seventh fastest Australian.
Zooming past the likes of triple Sydny Olympic backstroking medallist Matt Welsh and fellow Olympians Zac Incerti and Will Yang.
Australian All-Time Top 10
50 Metres Backstroke:
World Record 23.55 Kliment Kolesnikov
24.12 Isaac Cooper (2024)
24.54 Ben Treffers (2014)
24.63 Mitch Larkin (2015)
24.72 Robert Hurley (2010)
24.73 Ashley Delaney (2009)
24.83 Daniel Arnamnart (2009)
24.88 Henry Allan (2025)
24.97 Zac Incerti (2018)
24.99 Matt Welsh (2005)
24.98 William Yang (2019)
25.03 Lewis Blackburn (2024)
BRYCE KRAUSE Photo Courtesy: Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia
While Krause (Fairholme/Toowoomba, QLD) and just 14, continued to re-write the record books with his National mark in the 100m backstroke of 57.07.
Breaking Josh Edwards Smith’s 2018 Australian and Australian All-Comers times.
All three swimmers hailing from country and regional centres – Toohey from the NSW/Victorian border town of Albury – which has a history of producing elite sportsmen and women – mainly AFL footballers.
But this talented 16-year-old, who has taken down Leisel Jones’ times on her charge up the rankings is putting Albury on the swimming map again – following the likes of Sydney 2000 Olympian, Clementine Stoney.
While Bendigo-based Allan hails from Australia’s fourth largest inland city, with Bendigo 150km from Melbourne – the once gold-mining boom town preparing for a gold rush of a different kind.
With Krause hailing from the inland city of Toowoomba – 125km from Brisbane – Queensland’s “Garden City” on the fringes of South East Queensland and The Darling Downs –mine hosts for the Equestrian events at the Brisbane32 Olympics.
And if this talented 14-year-old, who trains under Micheal Wise at the Fairholme College, continues his rise up the rankings – a 21-year-old Bryce Krause may well find himself saddling up on the 2032 Australian Olympic Swim team.
TWINS SET: Lincoln and Isaac Wearing .P{hot Courtesy Bec Ohlwein/Swimming Australia
Meanwhile Chandler’s Wearing twins, Lincoln and Isaac have continued on their amazing journey – collecting their second quinella of the meet – winning gold (Lincoln) and silver (Isaac) in the men’s 200m freestyle.
Lincoln (1:51.51) touching ahead of Isaac (1:54.33) with Darwin’s Liam Brown taking bronze in (1:54.40) and following their gold and silver efforts in the 400m freestyle – the 1500m to come tonight (Day Eight).
In other events:
Northern Territory teenager Macey Sheridan (29.10) won her third gold of the meet, her long frame out-touching Eloise McLellan (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 29.70 with Jessica Melo(Somerset, QLD) third in 29.80.
And for almost 72 hours, Rockhampton’s Amelie Smith thought she may have missed her best chance for World Junior selection after missing her 200 IM but then she ripped a 4:45.49 in the 16 years’ 400 IM – five seconds under the qualifying time for Romania – to put herself in the frame for the team.
Ciara Jeffs (Yarra Valley, VIC) continued her winning ways, her third gold and second silver.
In the 14-years 200m freestyle Jeffs touched in 2:03.66 – almost three seconds before Jessica Conrad (Miami, QLD) in second (2:06.45) and Ava Hogan (Woogaroo, QLD) third in 2:06.79.
Jeffs backed up with a silver in the 200m freestyle behind Madison McKenna (St Andrews, QLD) – McKenna winning her first gold of the meet in 1: 03.40.and Jeffs in 1:03.85 mark.
A disqualification n the boys’ 17-year 400m individual medley brought heartbreak for Cael Eley (St Peters’ Western, QLD) but gold to Sydney Kito (Cairns Stingrays. QLD) Eley, who charged home in first place, did not touch the wall with both hands at the breaststroke turn. As a result, Kito was awarded gold (4:29.77) followed by Grayson Doig (Trinity Grammar, NSW) 4:31.65) and Daniel Carter (The Hills, NSW) 4:38.60).
While Lukas Dunn (Knox Pymble, NSW) delivered back-to-back golden performances tonight. Son of Olympian Matt Dunn taking out the 15-years 100m backstroke (57.11) and 50m butterfly (24.74).
Dunn was closely followed by Maxwell Cunningham who placed second in the 50 fly (24.88) and touched third but claimed silver as the second placed Australian in the 100 backstroke (59.52). Singapore’s Tedd Windsor Chan finished ahead of Cunningham with a time of 58.13.
Zoe Ammundsen (Nudgee, QLD) 1:00.80, Isabel Sheldrick (Fenix, WA) 1:01.23) and Ainsley Trotter (Bond, QLD) 1:01.46, all bettered the World Juniors qualifying times in the girls’ 17-years 100m backstroke.