By Josh Squire
A team of 44 Dolphins, including 31 Commonwealth Games alumni, are set to make a splash in the pool at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In a team featuring the best of the future and the stars of previous Games, the squad boasts a number of medal favourites that consolidated their form at the Australian Swimming Trials in Brisbane last week.
Some of Australia’s most successful Commonwealth Games athletes, including 14-time gold medallist and the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history Emma McKeon AM, will hit the water in July looking to improve on the best performance in the pool Australia has ever achieved in Tokyo three years ago.
McKeon’s spot on the team was locked in on the first night of competition, taking out the women’s 100m Butterfly ahead of Birmingham 2022 gold medallist Alex Perkins, whose efforts also granted her a spot on the Olympic team for the first time.
23-year-old Perkins is one of 13 debutant team members of the Olympic squad that have prior Commonwealth Games experience, which includes breakout star Ella Ramsay.
The Queensland-born teenager stormed to four top-two finishes at the trials, highlighted by victories in the women’s 200m Breaststroke and 400m Individual Medley that cemented her spot on the team.
While the young brigade of swimmers began filling up the rows on the Paris-bound plane, it was the sprinting stalwarts on the men’s side that showed they were serious medal contenders.
Four-time gold medallist Cameron McEvoy’s rejuvenation at the age of 30 thanks to a revolutionary training technique has culminated in a record-breaking fourth Olympic Games selection as he blitzed the men’s 50m Freestyle qualification time.
In the men’s 100m Freestyle, seven-time gold medallist and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Kyle Chalmers, who battled through back spasms in the lead-up to the trials, dipped under the qualifying time to put himself in with a chance to claim a second Olympic gold medal.
Three Commonwealth Games alumni also booked their tickets to Paris looking to defend their Olympic titles from Tokyo in Zac Stubblety-Cook (men’s 200m Breaststroke), Ariarne Titmus (women’s 200m and 400m Freestyle) and Kaylee McKeown OAM (women’s 100m and 200m Backstroke).
Seven-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Titmus’ battle with five-time Birmingham 2022 gold medallist Mollie O’Callaghan in the women’s 200m Freestyle was one for the ages as both swimmers swam under O’Callaghan’s previous world record time on Night 3 of the Australian trials.
Titmus also took out the women’s 400m and 800m Freestyle events, and O’Callaghan snared first in the 100m Freestyle, but all eyes will be on the 200m race in Paris as the two superstars take on each other and the world.
Not to be overshadowed, three-time Birmingham 2022 gold medallist McKeown nipped at the heels of her own 100m Backstroke world record to prove that the reigning Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion is still the favourite.
Her prowess in the 200m individual medley was also on show, claiming the Commonwealth record and coming within 0.51s of the world record. McKeown won’t have it her own way, but she holds the best time in the world in the event this year and still has a bit over a month to prime herself for another gold medal tilt.
The middle-distance tussle between Birmingham 2022 400m Freestyle gold and silver medallists Elijah Winnington and Sam Short will also continue into Paris after another chapter was written at the trials. Winnington took the win narrowly ahead of his Queenslander compatriot, but the duo both secured qualification times that would’ve netted them silverware in Tokyo.
The trials also spelled the end for several Australian swimming icons’ Olympic careers. Australia’s most successful swimmer at the Gold Coast 2018 Games with five gold medals Mitch Larkin and six-time gold medallist Cate Campbell OAM were both unable to produce selection-drawing performances.
Campbell had her sights set on a fifth Olympics, which would be the most of any Australian swimmer ever, but could not produce the heroics that she had become so well-known for and bowed out following a seventh-place finish in the women’s 50m freestyle.
Cate’s sister and eight-time Commonwealth Games medallist Bronte Campbell produced a fourth-place finish in the women’s 100m Freestyle to be selected for the 4x100m freestyle team and match her sister’s four Olympic Games appearances, the most of any Dolphin heading to Paris alongside Cam McEvoy.
Larkin entered the trials alongside McEvoy with three Olympics, but fourth and fifth in the 100m and 200m Backstroke respectively couldn’t get him across the line.
Johnson, who will be making her debut, will also race in the Marathon Swimming, joined in the open-water competition by Chelsea Gubeka, Kyle Lee and Nicholas Sloman.
Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission for Paris 2024 Anna Meares OAM said the team’s announcement was a time to celebrate for athletes after a week of fierce competition.
“I am delighted to announce our Dolphins who have earned their place in the Australian Olympic Team for Paris 2024,” Ms Meares said.
“We have witnessed an extraordinary week of the toughest competition. The way these athletes have driven each other has made such an impact.”
The swimming events will take place from 27 July to 4 August at the Centre Aquatique Olympique in Paris.
With thanks to the Australian Olympic Committee and Swimming Australia.
Current Australian Olympic Swimming Team (As at 18 June 2024)
| Name | Age | State | Olympic Games Experience | Commonwealth Games Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iona Anderson | 18 | WA | Debut | |
| Ben Armbruster | 22 | QLD | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold |
| Jaclyn Barclay | 17 | QLD | Debut | |
| Bronte Campbell | 30 | QLD | Tokyo 2020 – Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Bronze. Rio 2016 – Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; Women’s 100m Freestyle – 4th; Women’s 50m Freestyle – 7th. London 2012 – Women’s 50m Freestyle – 4th (Semi-final) | Gold Coast 2018 – Women’s 100m Freestyle – Gold; Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; Women’s 50m Freestyle – Silver. Glasgow 2014 – Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; Women’s 100m Freestyle – Silver; Women’s 50m Freestyle – Bronze |
| Jack Cartwright | 25 | QLD | Debut | Gold Coast 2018 – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay; GC2018 – Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay |
| Kyle Chalmers | 25 | SA | Tokyo 2020 – Men’s 100m Freestyle – Silver; Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Bronze; Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Bronze; Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – 5th. Rio 2016 – Men’s 100m Freestyle – Gold; Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Bronze; Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Bronze | Birmingham 2022 – Men’s 100m Freestyle – Gold; B2022 – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold. Gold Coast 2018 – Men’s 200m Freestyle – Gold; GC2018 – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; GC2018 – Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; GC2018 – Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold; GC2018 – 100m Freestyle – Silver |
| Abbey Connor | 19 | NSW | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Women’s 200m Butterfly – 4th |
| Isaac Cooper | 20 | QLD | Tokyo 2020 – Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Bronze; Men’s 100m Backstroke – 7th (Semi-Final) | |
| Elizabeth Dekkers | 20 | QLD | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Women’s 200m Butterfly – Gold |
| Jenna Forrester | 21 | QLD | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Women’s 400m Individual Medley – 6th |
| Maximillian Giuliana | 20 | TAS | Debut | |
| Meg Harris | 22 | QLD | Tokyo 2020 – Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; Women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Bronze | Birmingham 2022 – Mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Women’s 50m Freestyle – Silver |
| Zac Incerti | 27 | WA | Tokyo 2020 – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Bronze; Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Bronze | Birmingham 2022 – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Mixed 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay – Gold. Gold Coast 2018 – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; GC2018 – Men’s 50m Backstroke – Bronze |
| Shayna Jack | 24 | QLD | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Women’s 100m Freestyle – Silver; B2022 – Women’s 50m Freestyle – Bronze. Gold Coast 2018 – Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold |
| Moesha Johnson | 26 | QLD | Debut | |
| Se-Bom Lee | 23 | NSW | Tokyo 2020 – Men’s 400m Individual Medley – 2nd (Heat) | Birmingham 2022 – Men’s 200m Individual Medley – 6th; B2022 – Men’s 400m Individual Medley – 5th |
| Cameron McEvoy | 30 | QLD | Tokyo 2020 – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Bronze; Men’s 50m Freestyle – 8th (Heats); Men’s 100m Freestyle – 7th (Heats). Rio 2016 - Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Bronze; Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Bronze; Men’s 100m Freestyle – 7th; Men’s 50m Freestyle – 11th. London 2012 - Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – 4th; Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – 5th | Gold Coast 2018 - Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; GC2018 - Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold; GC2018 Men’s 50m Freestyle – Bronze. Glasgow 2014 - Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; G2014 - Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold; G2014 – Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Silver; Men’s 50m Freestyle – Silver; Men’s 100m Freestyle – Silver; Men’s 200m Freestyle – Silver |
| Emma McKeon AM | 30 | NSW | Tokyo 2020 – Women’s 50m Freestyle – Gold; Women’s 100m Freestyle – Gold; Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; Women's 100m Butterfly - Bronze; Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Bronze; Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Bronze. Rio 2016 - Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Silver; Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Silver; Women's 200m Freestyle – Bronze; Women's 100m Butterfly – 6th | Birmingham 2022 – Women’s 50m Freestyle – Gold; B2022 – Women’s 50m Butterfly – Gold; B2022 – Women’s – Gold; B2022 – Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; B2022 - Mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; B2022 – Women’s 100m Butterfly – Silver; B2022 – Women’s 100m Freestyle – Bronze. Gold Coast 2018 – Women’s 100m Butterfly – Gold; GC2018 – Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Gold; GC2018 – Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; GC2018 – Women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold; GC2018 – Women’s 200m Butterfly – Bronze; GC2018 – Women’s 200m Freestyle – Bronze. Glasgow 2014 – Women’s 200m Freestyle – Gold; G2014 - Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Gold; G2014 – Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; G2014 – Women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold; G2014 - Women’s 100m Freestyle – Bronze; G2014 – Women’s 100m Butterfly – Bronze |
| Kaylee McKeown | 22 | QLD | Tokyo 2020 – Women’s 100m Backstroke – Gold; Women’s 200m Backstroke – Gold; Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Bronze | Birmingham 2022 – Women’s 100m Backstroke – Gold; B2022 – Women’s 200m Backstroke – Gold; Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; Women’s 200m Individual Medley – Silver’ Women’s 50m Backstroke – Bronze. Gold Coast 2018 – Team Member |
| Thomas Neill | 22 | QLD | Tokyo 2020 – Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Bronze; Men’s 200m Freestyle – 4th (Semi-Final); Men’s 1500m Freestyle – 4th (Heats) | |
| Mollie O'Callaghan | 20 | QLD | Tokyo 2020 – Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; Women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Bronze | Birmingham 2022 - Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 - Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; B2022 – Women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold – B2022 – Women’s 100m Freestyle – Gold; B2022 – Women’s 50m Backstroke – Silver; B2022 – Women’s 200m Freestyle – Silver |
| Lani Pallister | 22 | NSW | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Women’s 800m Freestyle – Bronze; B2022 – Women’s 400m Freestyle – 5th |
| Jamie Perkins | 19 | QLD | Debut | |
| Alex Perkins | 23 | QLD | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; B2022 Women’s 50m Butterfly – 5th; B2022 Women’s 100m Butterfly – 4th |
| William Petric | 19 | VIC | Debut | |
| Ella Ramsay | 19 | QLD | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Women’s 200m Individual Medley – 8th |
| Sam Short | 20 | QLD | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Men’s 1500m Freestyle – Gold; B2022 – Men’s 400m Freestyle – Silver |
| Brendon Smith | 23 | VIC | Tokyo 2020 – Men’s 400m Individual Medley – Bronze; Men’s 200m Individual Medley – 2nd (Heat) | Birmingham 2022 – Men’s 400m Individual Medley – Silver; B2022 – Men’s 200m Individual Medley – 5th; B2022 Men’s 200m Butterfly – 8th |
| Flynn Southam | 19 | NSW | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; Men’s 50m Freestyle – 5th (Semi-Final) |
| Jenna Strauch | 27 | VIC | Tokyo 2020 – Women’s 200m Breaststroke – 6th (Semi-Final) | Birmingham 2022 – Women’s 200m Breaststroke – Silver |
| Zac Stubblety-Cook | 25 | QLD | Tokyo 2020 – Men’s 200m Breaststroke – Gold; Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Bronze; Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – 5th; Men’s 100m Breaststroke – 2nd (Heat) | Birmingham 2022 – Men’s 200m Breaststroke – Gold; B2022 – Men’s 100m Breaststroke – Silver. Gold Coast 2018 – Men’s 200m Breaststroke – 5th (Heats) |
| Kai Taylor | 20 | QLD | Debut | |
| Matthew Temple | 24 | VIC | Tokyo 2020 - Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Bronze; Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Bronze; Men’s 100m Butterfly – 5th; Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – 5th | Birmingham 2022 – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Men’s 100m Butterfly – Silver; B2022 – Men’s 50m Butterfly – 5th (Semi-Final) |
| Brianna Throssel | 28 | WA | Tokyo 2020 – Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; Women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Bronze; Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Bronze; Women’s 200m Butterfly – 8th. Rio 2016 – Women’s 200m Butterfly – 8th | Birmingham 2022 – Women’s 100m Butterfly – Bronze; B2022 – Women’s 200m Butterfly – Bronze. Gold Coast 2018 – Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; GC2018 – Women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold; GC2018 – Women’s 100m Butterfly – Bronze; GC2018 – Women’s 200m Butterfly – 5th |
| Ariarne Titmus | 23 | TAS | Tokyo 2020 - Women's 200m Freestyle – Gold; Women's 400m Freestyle – Gold; Women's 800m Freestyle – Silver; Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Bronze | Birmingham 2022 - Women's 200m Freestyle – Gold; B2022 Women's 400m Freestyle – Gold; B2022 Women's 800m Freestyle – Gold; B2022 Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold. Gold Coast 2018 - Women's 400m Freestyle – Gold; GC2018 - Women's 800m Freestyle – Gold; GC2018 - Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold; GC2018 – Women’s 200m Freestyle – Silver |
| Sam Williamson | 26 | VIC | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; B2022 Men’s 50m Breaststroke – Silver; B2022 Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Silver; B2022 Men’s 100m Breaststroke - Bronze |
| Elijah Winnington | 24 | QLD | Tokyo 2020 – Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Bronze; Men’s 400m Freestyle – 7th; Men’s 200m Freestyle – 7th (Heats) | Birmingham 2022 – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Men’s 400m Freestyle – Gold; B2022 – Men’s 200m Freestyle – Bronze. Gold Coast 2018 – Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Gold |
| Brad Woodward | 25 | NSW | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Men’s 200m Backstroke – Silver; B2022 – Men’s 100m Backstroke – Bronze; Men’s 50m Backstroke – 4th Gold Coast 2018 – Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Gold; GC2018 – Men’s 100m Backstroke – Silver; GC2018 – Men’s 200m Backstroke – Silver |
| Olivia Wunsch | 18 | NSW | Debut | |
| William Yang | 25 | NSW | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay – Gold; B2022 – Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay – Silver; B2022 – Men’s 100m Freestyle – 5th |
| Josh Yong | 22 | WA | Debut | Birmingham 2022 – Men’s 100m Breaststroke – 7th; B2022 – Men’s 50m Breaststroke – 6th (Semi-Final) |
