Aussie swim star gives world record a shake at national selection trials

Australian swimmer Sam Short narrowly missed the men's 400-meter freestyle world record at the national selection trials in Sydney, finishing with a personal best time of 3 minutes and 40.67 seconds. Short was on world-record pace until the final lap, ultimately falling just 0.71 seconds short of the existing record held by Germany's Lukas Martens.

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It's actually a 0.01 [second] PB, so that's three years in the making. That hurt so much. My coaching staff … they have really just pushed me to my limits. They have been saying, 'I want to keep pushing you until you break.'

"It's actually a 0.01 [second] PB, so that's three years in the making," Short commented on his performance. "That hurt so much. My coaching staff … they have really just pushed me to my limits. They have been saying, 'I want to keep pushing you until you break.'"

This impressive swim not only marks Short's fastest time this year but also confirms his place on Australia's squad for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Short, the 2023 World Championships gold medalist in this event and runner-up last year, expressed his excitement for the Games, stating, "I'm so pumped. I can't wait to go over there and smash those Pommies up."

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I am full of confidence right now and I feel like I'm invincible, so I really went out there and gave it a red-hot crack.

The opening night of finals also saw strong performances from other Australian swimmers. Kaylee McKeown narrowly defeated Mollie O'Callaghan in the women's 50m backstroke, while Lani Pallister claimed victory in the women's 400m freestyle. Other winners included Sam Williamson, Alex Perkins, and Isaac Cooper in their respective events.

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I'm so pumped. I can't wait to go over there and smash those Pommies up.