Sam Short equals Grant Hackett's feat with four distance freestyle wins at Australian trials

Sam Short has etched his name into Australian swimming history, matching a legendary feat by winning all four distance freestyle events, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1,500m, at the Australian Swimming Trials. This remarkable achievement mirrors that of Australian icon Grant Hackett, who was the only other male swimmer to complete the distance quad back in 2005.

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That's sick, I didn't know that. That's awesome. It's been a really hard week.

Despite battling gastrointestinal issues in recent major championships, including the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2025 World Championships, Short displayed incredible resilience and form. He attributed his success to his best-ever training regimen. "To be honest, none of it's that big a surprise. I've trained the best I've ever trained," Short told Channel Nine after his historic win.

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To be honest, none of it's that big a surprise. I've trained the best I've ever trained.

In the 1,500m race, Short was on world record pace for a significant portion before hitting a wall in the final kilometers, ultimately finishing in 14:42.09. While this time was outside Hackett's national record and Mack Horton's all-comers record, he finished a commanding eight seconds ahead of his closest competitors, Matt Galea and Ben Goedemans, both of whom achieved personal bests.

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I remember a couple of years ago, people saying Australian distance swimming's really fallen off. But just in case anyone doesn't know, Benny and Matt would've beaten Kieren Perkins in Sydney 2000 for the Olympic silver medal, so it's moved a long way and it's awesome to be here.

Short expressed optimism about the future of Australian distance swimming, noting that Galea and Goedemans' times would have been competitive for Olympic medals in previous years. He believes the depth of talent could lead to a podium sweep at the upcoming Commonwealth Games. "I really hope selectors take Benny as well because I really do think we could sweep the podium at the Commies," he said. Short is eager for upcoming international events, including the Commonwealth Games and the Pan Pacific Championships, anticipating even faster times as he prepares to represent Australia.

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I really hope selectors take Benny as well because I really do think we could sweep the podium at the Commies.