Sam Short and Lani Pallister To Spearhead 24-strong Dolphins Team Named For World Short Course In Beijing

Sam Short and Lani Pallister To Spearhead 24-strong Dolphins Team Named For World Short Course In Beijing

Dynamic Dolphins distance duo Sam Short and Lani Pallister will spearhead a 24-strong Australian team to this year’s World Short Course Championships in Beijing (December 1-6), named in Sydney tonight.

The pair have already led Australia to successful Commonwealth Games and Pan Pac campaigns this year and they were tonight named on the final major meet of 2026 when the world gathers in the 2008 Olympic city for the 18^th edition of the Championships to be swum at the famous Water Cube.

An Australian team without freestyle “King” Kyle Chalmers, golden girls Mollie O’Callaghan, Kaylee McKeown and Meg Harris, breaststroke heavyweights Zac Stubblety-Cook and Sam Williamson as well as Kai Taylor and Harrison Turner.

But thank goodness for both Pallister, 24 and Short, 23, who will fly the flag again – both completed their non-stop four days of the Australian Short Course meet and Selection Trials tonight in spectacular fashion.

Pallister (who holds the world record at 7:54.00) clocking an impressive 8:01.66 to take out the 800m freestyle and Short a personal best of 14:15.10 to keep the lap counters honest on the 60 -lap journey in the 1500m – and becoming the seventh fastest all-time.

Pallister, the world record holder at 7:54.00 will head to Beijing with the busiest  program after winning the 200, 400, 800 and 1500m freestyles – also finishing second in the 100m – her sights set on a third 800 and a second 400 title while Short won the 400, 800 and 1500m and will be chasing his third triple – unbeaten in Glasgow and Irvine.

Without doubt the two mainstays of any Australian Swim Team – tough to make but a  team that will almost certainly increase to 25 with the addition of Olympic and two-time world champion Cam McEvoy courtesy of World Aquatics offering wildcards for any swimmer that wins a medal at the Silk Road World Cup tour.

And McEvoy ticked that box last night – winning the 50m freestyle gold medal in a new World Cup, Oceania and Australian record time of 20.22 on the first of three stops in Baku, Azerbaijan.

There was also another major shock on the night with the unavailability of 200m freestyle winner Ed Somerville (Brisbane Grammar), Swimming Australia saying: “Sommerville ruled himself ineligible for selection, preferring to concentrate on his training base in Brisbane with (Miami’s) Max Giuliani to fill the vacancy.

And what about Russian-born US College-educated backstroker Mark Nikolaev who is one of six debutants named on the team – and a rarity to make your international debut at 27 after qualifying in the 100m backstroke at these Trials – and who represented Russia at the 2019 World University Games.

Given a lifeline by Australia, representing Bond and then Somerset under coach Ashley Callus, spending four years training and racing in Australia and his perseverance finally paying off – joining fellow debutants 18-year-old Amelie Smith (Rocky City, QLD) the youngest and 19-year-old Marcus Da Silva (Cranbrook, NSW) along with 23-year-old backstroke Emily Jones (Hunter, NSW) and 25-year-olds, 200m freestyler Cameron Bladen (TiigerSharks, VIC) and barnstorming butterflyer Alex Quach (Nudgee College, QLD).

Some outstanding swims on the final night saw:

Former Sydney swimmer Quach (now Nudgee College, QLD under coach Shaun Crow) led from start to finish to nudge Olympian Chris Wright’s Australian record to win the 200m butterfly in 1:51.65 – just half-a-second outside Wright’s 2009 supersuit mark – to gatecrash his way onto the team on the last night in spectacular fashion.

WA’s number one swimmer Iona Anderson (Highlanders, WA) added the 100IM to her treble in the 50, 100 and 200m backstroke for a fourth title to cement her place on the team.

Victorian all-rounder Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) added the 200m breaststroke in 2:18.89 – just outside her own personal best but under the qualifying time – her second qualifier after she won the 200IM in 2:05.48. Rockhampton’s 18-year-old 400IMer Amelie Smith (Rocky City, QLD) clocked an impressive pb of 2:21.26 for second, with another 18-year-old Julia Eve Spedding (Griffith, QLD) third in 2:22.93. Smith named on her first Australian team under coach Shane Kingston.

South Australian Commonwealth Games gold medallist Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) added the 200m butterfly in a qualifying time of 2:04.50 after winning the 100m fly in a pb of 56.00 to secure her place for Beijing.

Sunshine Coast Olympian Alex Perkins bounced back from a digestive upset that saw her withdraw from the 100m butterfly to win the 50m freestyle in a Beijing qualifier of 23.45 – equalling her best swum at the Westmont World Cup last year. Perkins cross-talents in freestyle and butterfly makes her an invaluable member of the Dolphins team.

Confirming her status as Australia’s third fastest 50 freestyler of all time behind legends Emma McKeon (23.04) and Cate Campbell (23.19). With 100m winner Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) second in 24.05 and Chloe Rowe-Hagans(St Andrews, QLD) third in 24.58.

Paris Olympian Joshua Yong produced a stunner to win the 200m breaststroke in a pb and qualifying time of 2:03.13 from 50 and 100m breaststroke winner Joshua Collett (Bond) 2:04.36 and rounding out the namesake trifecta was Brisbane Grammar’s Joshua Anderson in 2:07.13. Yong and Collett will both head to Beijing as Australia continues to build its breaststroke stocks towards LA28 and Brisbane 32.

While 27-year-old Victorian David Schlicht (MLC Aquatic) was unfortunately disqualified from the 100IM final for an incorrect turn after winning the final. Breaststroke specialist Joshua Collett elevated to first and his third win of the meet in 52.73 ahead of 200IM bronze medallist Lukas Dunn (Knox Pymble) 52.79 and Callum Halloran-Lavelle(Nunawading) upgraded to the podium in 53.35. Schlicht, who won the 200IM was named on his fourth Australian Short Course Team.

Meanwhile, Queensland again dominates selection with 12 spots for half the team, followed by Victoria and NSW four each and South Australia two each.

2026 Australian Dolphins Swim Team, 18^th World Short Course Championships, Beijing, December 1-6

*Denotes rookie