Australian Short Course, Day 1, Finals: Sam Just Short of His Club Record, Clocking 3:36.12 To Win 400m Freestyle
Australia’s former world champion and Olympic finalist Sam Short has Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett in his sights after an impressive time of 3:36.12 to win the 400m freestyle on the opening night of the Australian Short Course Championships in Melbourne tonight.
But first of all he has to get past his own club record, held by fellow Olympian Thomas Neill.
Hackett holds the Australian record at 3:34.58 – the world record set in 2002 and which lasted for seven years, before it was broken by German Paul Biedermann in a now banned supersuit in 2009. Thorpe’s best stands at 3:34.63, swum in 2003.
And the world record now belongs to Frenchman Yannick Agnel and has done since 2012 – when he stopped the clock at 3:32.25.
Short said to his coach Damien Jones before the race that the Brisbane-based Rackley club record of 3:35.05 held by Neill would be a good target before suggesting that Hackett’s mark was also in his sights in the up-coming World Cup series, starting in Carmel, Illinois on October 10 and 12.
Short’s time of 3.36.12 (25.09; 51.83;1:46.11/1:50.01) ranks him third on the 2024/25 world rankings and is the 19th fastest time in history – a ranking that would see him move into the all-time top 10 if he can set that new Rackley club record.
The 22-year-old Queenslander revealed just how frustrated he was when illness cut short his World Championship campaign in Singapore earlier this year.
“I was so annoyed I got ill over at Worlds and couldn’t really show what I could do so I really wanted to attack this meet and I am so happy with that time. I had a few caffeine gels and in the marshalling area I was just kind of vibing. Short course is a lot of fun but my goal is to really use this meet to set up my World Cups,” Short said.
Short will swim the 200, 800 and 1500m over the next two days at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
Results
Day One, 2025 Australian Short Course Championships, MSAC,
Women
50m freestyle
- Hirai Mizu (Japan) 24.84
- Sienna Walo (Southport, QLD) 24.85
- Lucy Dring (USC Spartans, QLD) 24.87
400m freestyle
Molly Walker 400free AUS25SCNats Photo Courtesy Elsa Lindberg (Swimming Australia)
- Molly Walker (Southern Performance, SA) 4:06.92
- Sarah Locke (Manly, NSW) 4:11.44
- Adriana Fydler (Bond, QLD) 4:14.11
50m backstoke
Makenzie Burns 50bk AUS25SCNats Photo Courtesy Elsa Lindberg (Swimming Australia)
- Hirai Mizu (Japan) 26.39
- Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews, QLD) 26.68
- Kim Seungwon (Korea) 27.15
200m butterfly
Lucy Dring 200ly AUS 25SCNats Photo Courtesy Elsa Lindberg (Swimming Australia)
- Lucy Dring (USC Spartans, QLD) 2:06.77
- Amber Clark (Nunawading, VIC) 2:13.61
- Mia Yeo (Caulfield, VIC) 2:14.20
200m breaststroke
Amelie Smith 200br AUS25SCNats Photo Courtesy Elsa Lindberg (Swimming Australia)
- Amelie Smith (Rocky City, QLD) 2:24.75
- Tilly King (Bond, QLD) 2:24.89
- Alanna Torrance (Nunawading, VIC) 2:25.79
100IM
Brittany Castelluzzo 100IM AUS 25SCNats PHOTO COURTESY Elsa Lindberg (Swimming Australia)
- Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 59.72
- Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 1:00.65
- Emma Doherty (Bond, QLD) 1:01.09
Men
50m freestyle
- Ji Yuchan (Korea) 21.08
- James Ward (Caulfield, VIC) 21.68
- Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 21.79
400m freestyle
SAM Short action AUS25SCNats PHOTO COURTESY Elsa Lindberg (Swimming Australia)
- Sam Short (Rackley, QLD) 3:36.12
- Will Petric (St Peters Western, QLD) 3:43.65
- Thomas Hauck (All Saints, QLD) 3:45.59
200m Backstroke
- Lee Juho (Korea) 1:51.24
- Matthew Magnussen (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:53.14
- Will Sharp (Nunawading, VIC) 1:55.19
100m breaststroke
- Sung Cho (Korea) 58.65
- James McKechnie (Starplex, SA) 59.25
- Will Petric (St Peters, QLD) 59.46
100m butterfly
Matt Temple 100 fly AUS 25SCNatsSAM Short action 25SCNats
- Matt Temple (Marion, SA) 49.83
- Callum Halloran-Lavelle (Nunawading, VIC) 52.18
- Lucas Humeniuk (Logan Vikings, QLD) 52.26
100 IM
EWAN Smith + Felix Dressel-De Bruyn 100IM AUS 25SCNatsMatt Temple 100 fly 25SCNats
- Ewan Smith (Firbank, VIC) 54.49
- Felix Dressel-De Bruyn (Melbourne, VIC) 54.49
3.Bailey Crehan (Manly, NSW) 55.20
Multi-Class
Women
200m freestyle
- Samantha Pratt (Lane Cover, NSW) 2:20.14
- Corry Taylor (Purruna, SA) 2:18.62
- Aaliyah Currie (Mingara, NSW) 3:05.18
400 freestyle
- Emilee Pratt (Hunter, NSW) 5:04.91
- Samantha Pratt (Lane Cove, NSW) 4:53.92
- Emmelin Giraud 5:04.73
50m backstroke
- Taylor Corry (Purruna, SA) 32.58
- Jasmin Fullgrabe (Marion, SA) 33.82
- Gemma Sellick (Warringah Aquatic, NSW)
Men
200m freestyle
ack Ireland 200freMC AUS 25SCNatsSmith + Dressel-De Bruyn 100IM 25SCNats Photo Courtesy Elsa Lindbergh (Swimming Australia)
- Jack Ireland (University of QLD) 1:52.08
- Su Riley (Friends, TAS) 2:05.11
- Ming Ze Pang (Caufield, VIC) 2:14.44
400 freestyle
- Ryan McGrane (Geelong, VIC) 1:33.68
- Thomas Voigt (Grace, QLD) 1:16.98
- Ming Ze Pang (Camberwell Grammar, VIC) 1:19.48
50m backstroke
Sam Greatorex MC AUS25SCNats Photyo Courtesy Elsa Lindberg (Swimming Australia)
- Samuel Greatorex (Nunawading, VIC) 27.29
- Dylan Logan (Albany Creek, QLD) 29.03
- Ahmed Kelly (Yarra Valley, VIC) 55.01