Sam Short Turns Up The Heat With His 7:31.79 To Win The 800m Free At the Australian Short Course
Former world champion Sam Short has taken just 7:31.79 to signal his intentions for the up-coming World Aquatics World Cup Series in the US – the time it took to win the 800m freestyle on the final night of the Australian Short Course Championships in Melbourne tonight.
And a time that has only been bettered by 10 other swimmers in history and one other Australian – former world record holder, Grant Hackett’s 7:23.42.
ALL SMILES: Sam Short finished the Australian Short Course Champs with his third win in the 800m freestyle. Photo Elsa Lindberg (SWIMMING AUSTRALIA)
Short (Rackley, QLD) had set himself the goal of swimming 7:30.00 – a realm belonging to just eight other swimmers – and where he is confident of getting down to when the World Cups kick off in Carmel, Illinois on October 10 and 12.
It was Short’s third win of the three-day Sprints meet, adding the 800m 7:31.79 (25.46; 1:48.78; 2:45.15; 3:42.02; 4:39.04;5:36.91;6:34.99) to his wins in the 400m (3:36.12) and the 1500m freestyle (14:25.26) – all in new personal bests in his first serious short course races in five years.
He had also swum the fastest time in the 200m heats on the last morning, clocking 1:44.34 before withdrawing from the final to concentrate on the 800m.
Short said he woke up this morning feeling the effects of his 1500m from last night and his time of 14:25.26, the second fastest time by an Australian, bettered only by former world record holder Hackett’s Australian record of 14:10.10.
“But I did an alright 200m for me in the morning and I really wanted to give the 800m a good crack and get under 7:30 but I’ll have another opportunity in the World Cups,” said Short.
“I’m a tempo swimmer which is why I can keep going when I’m swimming long course but in short course I’m just getting into my rhythm and that’s when I’ve got to tumble turn and come back all over again – I’ve got a long way to go,” said Short.
“But I’m having so much fun in the short course, it’s so much different to long course…you can go out a lot harder….and I’m looking forward to racing some international competitions.”
Short has certainly capped off a big week as he chased Hackett’s times at a rate of knots at the Melbourne Sports And Aquatic Centre.
Hackett also holds the Australian 400m freestyle record at 3:34.58 – the world record set in 2002 and which lasted for seven years, before it was broken by German Paul Biedermann in a now banned supersuit in 2009. Thorpe’s best stands at 3:34.63, swum in 2003.
Short’s time of 3.36.12 (25.09; 51.83;1:46.11/1:50.01) ranks him third on the 2024/25 world rankings and is the 19th fastest time in history.
Short followed his 400m win from night one with another impressive personal best time of 14:25.26 to win the 1500m freestyle in the second fastest time by an Australian, bettered only by former world record holder Hackett’s Australian record of 14:10.10.
RESULTS
2025 Australian Short Course Championships, MSAC
MEN
200m freestyle
25SCNATS Photo Courtesy Elsa Lindberg SWIMMING AUSTRALIA
- Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:43.51
- Cameron Bladen (Casey Tigersharks, VIC) 1:44.37
- Anders McAlpine (Griffith University, QLD) 1:44.72
800m freestyle
- Sam Short (Rackley, QLD) 7:31.79
- Thomas Hauck (All Saints, QLD) 7:49.49
- Tommy Lane (Nunawading, VIC) 7:49.91
100m backstroke
- Matthew Magnussen (St Peters Western, QLD) 88
- Lucas Humeniuk (Logan Vikings, QLD) 53.16
- Callum Halloran-Lavelle (Nunawading, VIC) 53.51
200m breaststroke
Jackson ABEYA 200br 25SCCNATS Photo Elsa Lindberg SWIMMING AUSTRALIA
- Jackson Abeya (Logan Vikings, QLD) 2:08.44
- Leny Grigor (Somerset, VIC) 2:09.05
- Caio Gallo (Logan Vikings, QLD) 2:09.61
50m butterfly
- Matt Temple (Marion, SA) 22.98
- Jackson Govers (Fenix, WA) 23.59
- William Layton (University of QLD) 23.64
400IM
Samuel Higgs 400IM 25SCCNATS Photo Elsa Lindberg SWIMMING AUSTRALIA
- Samuel Higgs (Warringah Aquatic, NSW) 4:08.19
- Thomas Hauck (All Saints, QLD) 4:09.82
- Cameron Ricchini (Miami, QLD) 4:10.56
MULTI-CLASS
MEN
50m freestyle
Nick Layton 50 free MC 25SCCNATS Photo Elsa Lindberg Swimming Australia
- Nicholas Layton (Caulfield, VIC) 22.86 (22.64 heat swim an S15 WR)
- Samuel Greatorex (Nunawading, VIC) 23.76
- Su Riley (Friends, TAS) 26.33
100m butterfly
Nick Layton 100fly KC 25SCCNATS Photo Elsa Lindberg Swimming Australia
- Nicholas Layton (Caulfield, VIC) 54.61
- Su Riley (Friends, TAS) 28.85
- Pang Ming Ze (Camberwell Grammar, VIC)
150m IM
Ahmed Kelly 150IM 25SCNATS Photo Courtesy Elsa Lindberg
1. Ahmed Kelly (Yarra Valley, VIC) 2:57.88
200IM
- Su Riley (Friends, TAS) 2:20.49
- Hamish Keenan (Propulsion, VIC) 2:26.47
- Kelvin Tran (Oasis Otters, VIC) 2:31.67
50m breaststroke
- Ahmed Kelly (Yarra Valley Waves, VIC) 52.81
- Samuel Greatorex (Nunawading, VIC) 30.37
- Matthew Swinbourne (Macquarie University, NSW) 33.36
WOMEN
100m freestyle
Lucy Dring 25SCCNATS Photo Elsa Lindberg Swimming Australia
- Lucy Dring (USC Spartans, QLD) 54.08
- Sienna Walo (Southport, QLD) 54.40
- Semra Olowoniyi (Nunawading, VIC) 54.65
1500m freestyle
MOLLY Walker 1500m free 25SCCNATS Photo Elsa Lindberg Swimming Australia
- Molly Walker (Southern Performance, SA) 16:0`.38
- Amelie Smith (Rocky City, QLD) 16:17.76
- Sienna Deurloo (Toowoomba Grammar, QLD) 16:45.76
200m backstroke
Abbey Kearney 200bk 25SCCNATS Photo Elsa Lindberg Swimming Australia
- Abbey Kearney (Nunawading, VIC) 2:08.47
- Charlotte Hinze (All Saints, QLD) 2:08.60
- Adriana Fydler (Bond, QLD) 2:08.62
50m breaststroke
Tilly King 50br 25SCCNATS Photo Elsa Lindberg Swimming Australia
- Tilly King (Bond, QLD) 30.78
- Sienna Walo (Southport, QLD) 30.95
- Emily Daunt (Marion, SA) 31.42
100m butterfly
Brittany CASTELLUZZO 100fly 25SCCNATS Photo Elsa Lindberg Swimming Australia
- Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 56.81
- Lucy Dring (USC Spartans, QLD) 57.66
- Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 57.85
200IM
Tara Kinder 200IM 25SCNATÍ Photo Courtesy Elsa Lindbergh Swimming Australia
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:07.42
- Amelie Smith (Rocky City, QLD) 2:10.38
- Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 2:12.49
MULTI-CLASS
WOMEN
200IM
- Ikuha Nakahigashi (Japan) 2:25.47
- Jasmin Fullgrabe (Marion, SA) 2:40.11
- Taylor Corry (Purruna, SA) 2:36.69
50m freestyle
- Taylor Corry (Purruna, SA) 28.76
- Mia Hogan (Corowa, NSW) 28.63
- Sarah Howe (St Hildas, QLD) 28.63
100m butterfly
- Ikuha Nakahigashi (Japan) 1:08.14
- Taylor Corry (Purruna, SA) 1:10.32
- Sarah Howe (St Hildas, QLD) 1:13.39
50m breaststroke
- Minami Kubo (Japan) 33.46
- Imogen Noln (Nunawading, VIC) 33.71
- Ruby Halliday (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 45.19
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