24/04/2026
๐๐ Australian Championships Wrap - A Huge Month on the National Stage ๐๐
Three weeks of racing across Multiclass, Age Group and Open Championships, and this squad showed exactly what commitment, resilience and consistency can produce. From national records to breakthrough swims, PBs, finals and medals - the group handled the pressure of a long campaign and kept turning up when it mattered.
Multiclass Championships set the tone!
Aaliyah delivered a standout meet, breaking the Australian 14yrs S6 Record in the 400 Freestyle, and both the Australian 14yrs and Open S6 Records in the 200 Freestyle - lowering them again in the final to take silver. She added bronze in the 100 Backstroke and 50 Freestyle, plus a PB in the 100 Freestyle, all while racing a year up.
Cyrus put together one of his most complete meets to date, claiming gold in the 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke and 50 Backstroke, and adding silver in the 200 IM, 50 Freestyle and 50 Breaststroke - all with big PBs.
Together, they finished 4th in Australia in the Age Group Multiclass standings: 3 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze, multiple PBs and national records โจ
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Age Group Championships (8 Days) brought a different challenge - long programs, tough conditions, and the need to back up day after day.
Myah closed out a demanding schedule with a PB in the 200 Butterfly, a strong 1:00.68 in the 100 Freestyle, and a 29.56 PB in the 50 Butterfly, finishing just 0.1 outside finals in a field of over 100 swimmers. She handled the 200 IM, 100 Backstroke and multiple doubles with real maturity.
Harry stepped up across distances, producing PBs in the 100 Fly and 800 Freestyle, and finishing as reserve for the B Final in the 400 Freestyle.
Roman wrapped up his final Age Championships with his fastest 100 Breaststroke of the year (1:09.0), building on a season that already included a Commonwealth Games Trials qualifying time.
Sahara fought through tough backstroke conditions to produce a seasonโs best and contribute strongly to the team environment.
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And then there was Archie - who delivered one of the standout Age Championships performances in the country.
Across the week, he claimed four national titles:
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400 Freestyle
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800 Freestyle
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1500 Freestyle
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200 Butterfly
He finished as the fastest Australian 14-year-old in all three distance freestyle events, completing the distance freestyle treble - a rare and significant achievement at this level. His swims included major drops: 4:08 (400 Free), 8:36 (800 Free) and 16:25 (1500 Free), along with a composed, perfectly timed 200 Butterfly final where he closed in a blistering 32.66 to take gold.
Even with a full program, he kept stepping up: PBs in the 100 Fly (59.49) and 400 IM (4:59) showed not just endurance, but range and race craft.
Head Coach Paul Dowey summed it up simply ๐ฃ
โHe was prepared to take the race on early and back himself. Once he found his rhythm, he didnโt give anything back.โ
From the opening heats to the final night, Archie led from the front - consistent, composed, and committed. His week stands as one of the strongest Age Championships campaigns by a 14-year-old in recent years, and a clear marker of what hard work at Mingara Aquatic can produce ๐ฆ
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Across both meets: medals, national records, 20+ PBs, multiple finals - and a topโ4 national finish in Multiclass. But more importantly - growth. Learning how to race, how to adjust, how to handle pressure, and how to keep showing up ๐
A huge block of racing. A lot achieved - and even more to build on ๐
