Sheldrick Sisters From Rival States Among 25 Australians to Embark On The 57th Tokyo Invitational Swim Meet
While the elite Dolphins are preparing for December’s World Short Course Championships, 25 emerging Australian swimmers – 16 from Queensland and nine from Western Australia will contest the 57th Tokyo Swimming Centre Invitational Meet, starting Thursday in the 2021 Olympic venue.
The rival States will line up in one of most competitive international club meets on the circuit and in a country that also has amongst the best junior and age-group depth in world swimming.
Swimming Queensland Coach Director and team Head Coach Drew McGregor describes his group of eight men and eight women as the best team he has ever taken away – and a team that includes record-breaking breaststroker Gideon Burnes (Bond University/Gold Coast) and promising women’s sprint freestyler Chloe Rowe-Hagans (St Andrews/Sunshine Coast).
Burnes set a new Australian All-Comers record in the 100m breaststroke at the September Australian Short Course Championships in Sydney – his time of 56.75 sitting just outside the World’s Top Ten.
At the Australian Open in April, Burnes claimed the scalps of Australia’s top two breaststrokers Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook and World Champion Sam Williamson with a time of 1:00.66. He also claimed a silver medal in the 50-metre breaststroke (27.40) at the same meet.
And he knows he is about to race in the home of men’s breaststroke with the country’s two 17-year-olds Shin Ohashi and Yusei Imaizumi holding five of the six world junior records and Ohashi holding the open world record in the 200m breaststroke.
While Rowe-Hagans finished third in the 50m freestyle final at the same Short Course Nationals meet behind Paris Olympians Alex Perkins and Olivia Wunsch after earlier in the season beating Milla Jansen and Wunsch, in the 50m freestyle at the 2026 NSW State Open Championships.
The meet will also feature two sisters competing for different States, with Queensland boasting 19-year-old former WA girl Isabel Sheldrick, now Griffith University on the Gold Coast, with her 16-year-old home based sister Eloise Sheldrick (Fenix/North Perth) in the nine-strong WA team of six men and three women – with Head Coach Deb Jones at the helm.
The teenagers – one from the east coast and one from the west coast re-uniting in the 1964 and 2021 Olympic city.
Isabel to contest the 50, 100 and 200m backstroke and Eloise the 50, 100 and 200m freestyle after her WA All-Time 16 and 17-years record breaking swims in the 50m freestyle at the National Short Course – her eighth placed 24.85 just 0.27 behind Rowe-Hagans bronze medal swim of 24.58.
Both Queensland and Western Australia teams supported by their Patron Gina Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting.
McGregor excited about the Queensland team – its preparation and purpose for the five-day meet – with the 2028 LA and 2032 Brisbane Olympics squarely in their sights.
“It is without doubt the best Queensland team I’ve ever taken away and I am talking every single swimmer; this is their Olympics for 2026,” said McGregor.
“That’s the standard I want from a group I expect to be ready for 2028 and 2032. I have made it clear that we are going to this meet to win.
“It is important for the swimmers and the coaches that they have the exposure to competition above their level and the competition at this meet is just so good…it always has been.
“They know they will have to swim personal bests in the heats to make finals – I gave them an example one year in the women’s 100m backstroke where there was just 1.1 secs between first and 22nd in the heats.
“The coaches have to be exposed to the pressures of a meet like this, some with swimmers who are not from their home programs.
“It is all about the preparation, the process and delivering the performance and international exposure to the next tier.
“The depth of Japanese swimming that we have seen rise this year is next level
“The team was selected based on what it took to make finals in their events at last year’s meet…I never talk times (in meetings) but I let the coaches know the times it took to make finals and times it took to podium.
“And this long course meet is in a training, preparation phase and after the Short Course Nationals so to get back and race again so soon is a ‘double peak’ and they have to lift and get ready for that – and getting it right is an art form.”
Hancock Prospecting Queensland Team, 57th Tokyo Swimming Centre Invitational Meet, October 30-November 3, 2026
Women:
Chloe Rowe-Hagans (Age: 22) Club: St Andrews; Coach: Ashley Delaney Events: 50, 100m freestyle; 50m butterfly
Hannah Allen (Age: 19) Club: Rackley Swim Team; Coach: Damien Jones; Events: 100, 200, 400, 800m freestyle
Isabel Sheldrick (Age: 19) Club: Griffith University; Coach: Mel Marshall; Events: 50, 100, 200m backstroke
Mackenzie Burns (Age: 20) Club: St Andrews; Coach: Ashley Delaney; Events: 50, 100m butterfly; 50m freestyle; 50m backstroke.
Matilda Smith (Age: 22) Club: Miami; Coach: Paul Crosswell; Events: 50, 100, 200m breaststroke
Poppy Stephen (Age: 20) Club: Brisbane Grammar; Coach: Bobby Jovanovich; Events: 50, 100, 200m butterfly; 50m backstroke
Sienna Harben (Age: 22) Club: Griffith University; Coach: Mel Marshall.; Events: 50, 100, 200m breaststroke
Zoe Ammundsen (Age: 19) Club: Rackley Swim Team; Coach: Damien Jones; Events: 50, 100, 200m backstroke; 50m freestyle
Men:
Bill Atkinson (Age: 20) Club: Rackley Swim Team; Coach: Damien Jones; Events: 100, 200, 400 freestyle
Cash Milner (Age: 19); Club: St Andrews; Coach: Ashley Delaney; Events: 50, 100m freestyle; 50, 100m butterfly
Campbell Wilson-Moran (Age: 19) Club: Bond University; Coach: Chris Mooney; Events: 50, 100, 200m freestyle; 50, 100m backstroke
Charlie Lutton (Age: 19) Club: Brisbane Grammar; Coach: Bobby Jovanovich; Events: 50, 100, 200m butterfly
Gideon Burnes (Age: 20) Club: Bond University; Coach: Chris Mooney; Events: 50, 100, 200m breaststroke
Jack Morrow (Age: 19); Club: St Andrews; Coach: Ashley Delaney; Events: 50,100, 200m backstroke
Josh Anderson (Age: 21) Club: Brisbane Grammar; Coach: Bobby Jovanovich; Events: 50, 100, 200m breaststroke
Matthew Magnussen (Age: 22): Club: Nudgee College) Coach: Shaun Crow; Events: 50, 100, 200m backstroke; 50, 100m freestyle
Coaches: Alberto Lantieri (Brisbane Jets), Ash Delaney (St Andrews), Dan Bush (Rackley), Paul Crosswell (Miami)
Staff: Head Coach: Drew McGregor (Swimming Queensland); Manager: Scott Harrison; Sport Science: Anabelle McLaran (Swimming Queensland); Team Liaison: Wakako Campese
Hancock Prospecting WA Touring Team,
Women
Lian Bewsher (Age: 18) Club: Westside Christchurch; Coach: Jon Harrison
Eloise Sheldrick (Age 16) Club: Fenix; Coach: Taj Jones
Brielle Dredge (Age: 15) Club: Kwinana; Coach: Clark Carlson
Men
Finlay Lamour (Age: 22) Club: Peel Aquatic; Coach: Renan Poirier
Jacob Hale (Age: 20) Club: Riverton; Coach: Gemma Herrington
Sean Alcorn (Age: 19) Club: WAIS/Peel Aquatic; Coach: Ian Hulme
Nicholas Swieiczuk (Age: 16) Club: Southside Penrhos Wesley; Coach: Nick Watkins
Sam Carmignani (Age: 18) Club: Hale; Coach: Harry Clark
Matthew Loffler (Age: 20) Club: Riverton; Coach: Gemma Herrington
Tour Staff Contingent
Lead Coach: Deb Jones (Fenix)
Assistant Coach: Clark Carlson (Kwinana)
Physiologist/Support Staff: Dan Astridge
