Breaking: Para Star Alexa Leary Breaks S9 100 Freestyle World Record Twice In One Day In Sydney
Paralympic wonder girl Alexa Leary has turned up the world record heat in Sydney today breaking the S9 100m freestyle world record, not once but twice on the third and final day of the 2025 Sydney Open and Uni Nationals Meet.
The 23-year-old two-time Paris Paralympic gold medallist from Bond University on the Queensland Gold Coast, broke her second and third world records of the meet, first up clocking 59.07 secs in the heats, to take 0.15 secs of her own world mark of 59.22, set at last month’s Australian Open Meet.
Before taking her special turn of speed into unchartered waters again, dropping the WR to 58.89 secs in tonight’s 100m Multi-Class final at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
WORLD RECORD REACTION:Alexa Leary after her 100m freestyle WR at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Photo Courtesy Michael Thomas/Swimming NSW.
Today’s world record double coming just 24 hours after yesterday’s blistering 27.23 secs in the 50m freestyle, that eclipsed the previous mark of 27.25 set by the USA’s Christie Raleigh Crossley during the heats of the S9 50m freestyle at last year’s Paris Paralympic Games.
Preparing for the final, Leary admitted she was a little bit stressed knowing she had hit the record in the heat.
“But I just knew that I had so much passion and determination in this one to break it again. That was my biggest goal tonight — to re-break the record,” she said, knowing the September Para World Championship Trials are on the horizon.
WORLD RECORD PACE: Alexa Leary on WR pace in Sydney. Photo Courtesy Michael Thomas/Swimming NSW
“It’s just making me very, like, focused on the job, like, more and more. The more PBs I’m getting the more I’m getting more passion and determination to what I’m going to do, like the job I’m going to get done.
“So that’s a big thing I’ve got with myself at the moment that I’m going to keep pushing the limits and pushing the boundaries as much as it’s hurting my body, but it’s giving me great success and something I love.”
In other highlights:
Ed Sommerville (Queensland University of Technology, QLD) produced an impressive 200m freestyle win in 1:47.54 – improving on his 1:47.87 when second to Olympic finalist Max Giuliani (TSS Aquatic, QLD) 1:47.03 at last month’s Australian Open. Harrison Turner (Nudgee, QLD), the 200 butterfly winner at this meet, finished second in 1;48.65 with improving IMer, Gabriel Gorgas (Macquarie University/Manly SC, NSW) third in 1:49.98.
Milla Jansen (Bond, QLD) completed the 50, 100, 200 freestyle treble – winning the 100m in a solid 53.85 from team mate Hannah Casey in 54.41 and Phoebe Bentley (Griffith University, QLD) 55.69, and;
Olympic champion Cam McEvoy (Somerville House, QLD) was only 0.07 outside his personal best in winning the 50m butterfly, clocking 23.14, ahead of fellow Olympian Ben Armbruster (Bond, QLD) 23.63 and his team mate Jesse Coleman 23.79.
On night one, McEvoy maintained his flying start to 2025 clocking his fourth World Top Ten time of 2025 in another dominant 50m freestyle win on the opening night of the Sydney Open and Uni Nationals Meet at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
McEvoy celebrated his 31st birthday (May 13) clocking a sizzling 21.53 in the heats, just 0.05 outside his season’s best of 21.43 from last month’s Australian Open final before taking out the final in 21.73.