It’s Strike Three For Kiwi Medley Maestro Lewis Clareburt At The Australian Open Championships On The Gold Coast
Victoria’s “Adopted Kiwi” Lewis Clareburt has stolen the show at the Australian Open Championships on the Gold Coast, winning three events – wrapping up the three-day meet with a stirring victory in the 400m individual medley on the final night.
The 26-year-old Wellington native and 2024 World Champion and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist had staged a neck and neck tussle with Nunawading training partner and Paris Olympian Will Petric.
The pair have been pushing each other since Clareburt joined head coach Jol Finck’s “IM Super group” at Nunawading, co-inciding with the return of prodigal son Petric, after his successful training stint with St Peters Western.
And the arrival of 19-year-old rising NSW stars, former National Age champions, Sam Higgs from Warringah in Sydney and Oscar Kreutzberger from North Albury, who finished fourth (4:21.52) and sixth (4:33.52) respectively in the final.
Ironically, Australia’s Tokyo bronze medallist Brendon Smith, now at St Peters Western, and who was fourth home in 4:20.47, cut his teeth at Nunawading, from where he made his first Olympic team.
Petric appeared to have the race wrapped up, before Clareburt pounced with 25 metres to swim, snatching victory on the touch with his powerful freestyle finish to claim the IM double.
In a classic stroke-for stroke finish, it was Clareburt, an Olympic finalist in 2024 and 2028, who touched first in 4:10.10 to Petric’s 4:10.20, with Sydney’s dual Olympian Se-Bom Lee (SOPAC) claiming third in 4:17.40.
The Melbourne-based Kiwi had broken the New Zealand record to win the 200m freestyle in 1:45.57 on night two so his freestyle prowess could not be underestimated after Petric had produced an impressive breaststroke leg to catch and pass Clareburt.
Clareburt and Petric clocking the fifth and sixth fastest times of the year behind Japan’s Omoyuki Matsushita (4:06.93), American Carson Foster (4:07.02) and Japanese pair Asaki Nishikawea (4:07.67) and world junior record holder Yumeki Kojima (4:08.84).
Petric saying the final was just like any other Tuesday.
“It’s just like a Tuesday night suit up session (at Nunawading) with the other two boys (Sam and Oscar)….so we were not too nervous because we know what we’re going to expect of each other,” said Petric.
“Lewis (did) get the better of me tonight, but we’ll wait until next Tuesday night’s suit up session.”
Clareburt saying: “Yeah, to be honest, it’s like this every single day in training, you know, we’ve always got our strengths and weaknesses, but we sort of come together at the end and it’s been a great week’s racing with all the guys here and I can’t wait to continue this momentum moving into the international season.”
If things go according to plan the “Tuesday Night Suit Up Club” rivalry will be featuring at this year’s Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs.
And in the women’s 200IM it was Paris bronze medallist Kaylee McKeown has added her third win of the meet, following the 100/200m backstroke double.
McKeown (USC Spartans) swimming away with the win in 2:09.22 from Paris team mates Ella Ramsay (Griffith) 2:09.94 and Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western) 2:11.97.
The 24-year-old declaring the IM was definitely on the radar for 2026.
POWER PACKED: Sam Williamson doing his thing on the way to the 50m breaststroke win. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr Swimming Australia.
Meanwhile Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) turned on the afterburners to win his pet event the 50m breaststroke in 27.14 from 100m winner Gideon Burnes (Bond) 28.10 and Joshua Anderson (Brisbane Grammar) 28.10 – ticking another major box since returning from injury.
“It’s exciting to be back. it’s been a big 12 months after my devastating injury,” said Williamson, who suffered a ruptured patella muscle in a dry-land training accident 11 months ago.
“To come away with a swim like that under my belt, my first Nationals back, it’s exciting.
“It’s a little confidence boost going into our Trials meet. There’s still about 6 or 7 weeks, So, a few weeks of hard work, but it’s another good swim under the belt.
“I mean, it was feeling good till about the 75-metre mark, and then it felt like someone jumped on my back.
“But I’ve never really been able to race too crash hot mid-season.
“I’m looking forward to having a good lead in to trials and fingers crossed, that helps me in that last 25 metres.”