Paris Olympian Kyle Lee Nails Photo Finish To Claim Maiden 10km National Open Water  Crown
Local WA Olympian Kyle Lee has out-touched defending champion Thomas Raymond in a frantic stroke-for-stroke shoot out to win his maiden 10km Australian Open Water Championship in Busselton.
The 23-year-old Lee and 22-year-old Queenslander Raymond produced a finish for the ages amidst a vocal local crowd looking down from the Busselton Jetty.
Lee (North Coast, WA) drew on his experience from last year’s World Championships to surge towards the finish banner, just ahead of Raymond (Noosa, QLD) – a result that could quite easily have been a dead-heat.
Four-time champion, Raymond’s former Noosa club mate and Paris Olympian Nick Sloman (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) finished third.
Inside the last 15 metres it looked like the white cap of Raymond was narrowly in front, before Lee, wearing a green cap and with the look on the Sunshine Coster, found that little bit extra.
Lee is the master of the sprint finish, securing a nail-biting win for Australia in last year’s World Championship 4x1500m relay in Doha – the powerhouse local boy launched himself onto the international stage.
His golden touch (by just 0.20 over Italy’s Domenico Acerenza) winning Australia the world 4x1500m title in a classic elbow-to-elbow scrap – an event now destined for the Olympic program in 2028 or 2032.
It gave Australia its first ever World Championship open water mixed relay gold (since 1998 when it was over 5km and 2022 with the introduction of the 6km format) and only its fourth official open water gold since its first FINA World Championships in Perth in 1991.
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Today’s 10km Australian Championship is the first step for the trio as they start their qualifying process to represent Australia at this year’s World Aquatic Championships in Singapore in July.
More to follow….
