By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers what excites them the most about the upcoming Australian Swimming Trials:
Question: What storyline are you most intrigued by heading into the Australian Trials?
RESULTS
McEvoy 50 free WR encore, 100 free experiment? – 49.6% What will Pallister do after big drops in 2025? – 17.6% Will McKeown respond to Smith/Stadden in women’s BK? – 10.0% Can O’Callaghan challenge 200 free WR? – 9.8% O’Callaghan, Harris & Jack set for 100 free showdown – 4.9% Who steps up in 100/200 free to form men’s free relays this summer? – 3.8% Are 17-year-olds Henry Allan & Sienna Toohey ready for a breakout? – 3.1% ZSC, Williamson coming off injures in men’s BR – 0.9% Other – 0.4%There’s plenty to look forward to at the Australian Swimming Trials, which get underway in just over one week from the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, and we took it to the SwimSwam poll to see what fans were most excited for heading into the Commonwealth and Pan Pac selection meet.
The leading option by a wide margin was Cameron McEvoy, who will put on an encore performance for the home crowd after breaking the 17-year-old super-suited world record in the 50 freestyle earlier this year. However, a big part of the intrigue surrounding McEvoy entering the meet had to do with the possibility of him racing the 100 free, having floated the idea of returning to the 4×100 free relay for LA 2028, but we learned on Thursday that he hasn’t entered the event.
McEvoy will swim the 50 free and 50 fly in Sydney, and though the 100 free won’t be on his program this year, there will still be plenty of eyes on him, and perhaps the enhanced 50 free time of 20.81 produced by Kristian Gkolomeev last weekend will be a target for him at the meet.
Ranking 2nd in the poll was what Lani Pallister will do at the Trials, having made massive improvements last year after moving to train under Dean Boxall.
Pallister was on fire at the 2025 Trials, sweeping the women’s 400 free (3:59.72), 800 free (8:10.84) and 1500 free (15:39.14) and adding a runner-up finish in the 200 free (1:54.89). She set personal best times in all four races and established new Australian Records in the 800 and 1500.
Just over one month later at the World Championships in Singapore, Pallister had a stunning performance in the final of the women’s 800 free, playing a prominent role in the anticipated Katie Ledecky vs. Summer McIntosh showdown and stealing the silver from McIntosh with a time of 8:05.98, the sixth-fastest swim in history to knock nearly five seconds off her Aussie Record.
Pallister also won bronze in the 1500 free (15:41.18), placed 4th with a new best time in the 400 free (3:58.87), and won gold on the Aussie women’s 4×200 free relay after leading the team off in a new 200 free PB of 1:54.77.
She continued her strong year with a dominant performance over the three-stop World Cup series in the fall, highlighted by shattering Ledecky’s SCM world record in the 800 free in 7:54.00, and now, after a full year training under Boxall, fans are excited to see what she can do at the Trials.
The two biggest stars on the women’s side, Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan, also earned plenty of votes in the poll, with McKeown looking to respond to what Americans Isabelle Stadden and Regan Smith have produced so far this season in the backstroke events, and O’Callaghan potentially taking a run at the 200 free (or 100 free?) world record.
Smith and Stadden rank 1-2 in the world this season in the women’s 100 and 200 back (Smith 1st in the 100 and Stadden 1st in the 200), and they’re the only two swimmers who have broken 58 and 2:05, respectively. McKeown ranks 3rd in both, having been 58.06 and 2:05.08 earlier this year, and Trials presents an opportunity for her to make a statement.
For O’Callaghan, she has a chance to reclaim the 200 free world record that countrymate Ariarne Titmus took at the 2024 Olympic Trials in a time of 1:52.23. O’Callaghan went 1:53.48 en route to winning the world title last year, but she’s essentially matched that already this season, going 1:53.52 at the China Open in March and then 1:53.69 at the Australian Open in April.
Additionally, the women’s 100 free all of a sudden has an extra layer of intrigue behind it after Dutchwoman Marrit Steenbergen (51.86) and American Anna Moesch (51.94) produced the second and third-fastest swims of all-time this week.
With O’Callaghan, Meg Harris and Shayna Jack all in the field owning best times of 52.52 or better—O’Callaghan’s best time sitting at 52.08—the question arises: Have the floodgates opened, and will we see another 51 in Sydney?
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: After two 51s over a three-day span this past week, who will get their hands on Sjostrom’s 100 free world record?
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
A3 Performance is an independently-owned, performance swimwear company built on a passion for swimming, athletes, and athletic performance. We encourage swimmers to swim better and faster at all ages and levels, from beginners to Olympians. Driven by a genuine leader and devoted staff that are passionate about swimming and service, A3 Performance strives to inspire and enrich the sport of swimming with innovative and impactful products that motivate swimmers to be their very best – an A3 Performer.The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
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