Australia’s Paris Golden Girl Alexa Leary Headlines Who’s Who For Para Swimming World Series On Gold Coast

Paris golden girl Alexa Leary will headline a who’s who of Australia’s paralympic swimmers at this weekend’s opening 2026 Para Swimming World Series event on the Gold Coast (February 20-22).

With final Glasgow Commonwealth Games qualification on the line for the Australians, a stacked field of more than 150 athletes from around the world will converge on the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

The meet will serve as an important steppingstone for Glasgow and the Para Pan Pacs, on the road to LA28 Paralympics.

Leary is hoping that a training change will be as good as a holiday after her recent shift to Miami Swim Club under the Rackley High Performance umbrella on the Gold Coast, with her long-time coach Jon Bell.

The dual Paralympic gold medallist and world record holder is excited about having the World Para Series in her own backyard.”It’s incredible, it’s unreal that we’re actually going to be doing it (racing at a World Series). And the fact that our friends and family will be here watching, that’s just going to get me going even more. It’s going to be the best,” said Leary.

MIAMI MOVE: Alexa Leary and coach Jon Bell. Photo courtesy Swimming Australia.

“The (Glasgow) Commonwealth Games is going to be very exciting and the Pan Pacs (Para Pan Pacific Championships) of course. I’m so excited for both, it’s going to be a great year.”

Bell saying the move to Miami had been transformative.

“This environment, the structure and connection, will help Lex perform at her best,” said Bell.

“There is no doubt she is a generational athlete — and the best is ahead of us.

“We really haven’t seen the best of Lex … but we will. The environment at Miami, the structure and connection will help Lex perform at her best. She has wonderful support from her parents, from strength and conditioning, through to physio.

“Lex feels part of the process at Miami, which is really important … and she can definitely swim on to 2032.”

While her fellow gold medallist from Paris, Tom Gallagher, will have his own challenge as he pursues a place on the team for Glasgow.

Gallagher has had a decorated Para career, winning gold in the 50m freestyle in Paris, as well as bronze in the 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke, after his debut bronze in Tokyo over 400m.

For Glasgow, Gallagher’s only event in his S10 category is in the 100m butterfly and the former WA surf lifesaver is up for the shift to a different stroke.

“It’s an opportunity to race, to learn something new and I’m finding elements of the fly is really helping my freestyle,” Gallagher said.

“I’ve just returned from a two week (St Peters Western) training camp in Thailand where I had the opportunity to train alongside (world championship medallist) Lizzy Dekkers which was cool … especially because she’s a world championship medallist and I only just started doing butterfly three months ago.

“I’m really enjoying doing a different training for now and it’s helping my back end. It’s looking positive and I’m quite excited to race on Saturday.”

SALUTING THE JUDGE: Paralympic champion Tom Gallager; Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr/Swimming Australia

Gallagher will face strong competition from Col Pearse – the 2025 world championships bronze medallist – as well as from Australia’s S10 freestyle sprint king Rowan Crothers, who is also chasing Glasgow qualification.

Pearce and Crothers come into the meet after impressive wins at the Victorian State Championships – Pearse taking out the 100m freestyle, swimming butterfly and Crothers the 50m freestyle.

Swimming Australia’s Paralympic Program Head Coach Mel Tantrum expects new names to emerge with Australia’s next wave of para athletes diving in alongside the likes of Leary, Gallagher, Pearse and Crothers.

“This weekend’s racing is going to be really tough,” Tantrum said.
“We have a number of athletes who are returning from racing at the Paris Paralympics and last year’s World Championships in Singapore.

“So, not only will we have a strong contingent of experienced athletes racing but this is also an opportunity for our young guns to step up.
The Gold Coast meet marks the first of nine stops on the global World Para Series calendar.

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