Forty-four Western Australian athletes competed at the four-day Australian Open Championships on the Gold Coast, with some age athletes backing up from the Australian Age Championships and open athletes travelling to compete.
Leading the charge was WA's backstroke queen, Iona Anderson (Breakers/WAIS), who took on the nation's top backstrokers, Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan in the 50m and 200m backstroke events. With reigning world record holder McKeown dropping the 100m back, it was a great opportunity for Anderson to race for silver, and she did exactly that, clocking in at an impressive 59.53.
Anderson went on to win two bronze medals in the women's 50m and 200m backstroke events, improving her time by 1.36 seconds in the 200m backstroke. The 18-year-old also dominated the age final in the women's 50m butterfly, finishing with a time of 26.84.
Josh Yong (UWA West Coast/WAIS) battled in the 100m and 200m breaststroke with Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Zac Stubblety-Cook. Stubblety-Cook won gold in both events, while Yong secured silver.
The men's 50m breaststroke was a whole new ball game, with Doha world champion Samuel Williamson securing gold ahead of Yong by just 0.44 seconds. Yong's standout performance came in the 200m breaststroke, where he clocked in with a time of 2:08.54, improving his entry time by over three seconds.
Alex Saffy S10 (Bunbury/AIS) secured silver in his pet event, the men’s 100m butterfly multi-class, with a lightning time of 57.23 on day two. On the final day, Saffy claimed bronze in the men’s 100m breaststroke multi-class with a time of 1:15.67.
The Olympian and superstar mum of three, Sally Hunter (Central Aquatic, c: Wayne de Lacy), made an exciting return to the Australian Championships. In the women’s 50m breaststroke, she powered her way to a bronze medal with an incredible time of 31.77, proving that age is just a number for this swimming dynamo.
Johann Szymanski (Highlanders, c: Ryan Steenkamp), fresh from his performances at the Age Championships, secured bronze in the age final of the men’s 400m freestyle, further cementing his status as young rising star.
It's all happening on the Gold Coast; Currently, four WA athletes: Jackson Anderson, Lucas Fackerell, Sam Hicks, and Sylvia Czajko, are representing Australia at the 2024 Oceania Championships.
