The 2024 Australian Open Championships featured a thrilling men’s 400 freestyle final. Swimmers aimed to beat the world record of 3:40.07 by Paul Biedermann in 2009 and the Australian record of 3:40.08 by Ian Thorpe in 2002. The Australian Olympic qualifying time was set at 3:45.43.
In an intense race, Elijah Winnington claimed the gold with a time of 3:41.41, just ahead of Sam Short who earned the silver with a time of 3:41.64. Kim Woomin secured the bronze with a time of 3:45.12, but it was Winnington and Short’s times that were the fastest in the world this season, with Winnington leading by over a second.
The previous top time in the world was held by Woomin Kim of South Korea at the 2024 World Championships with a time of 3:42.71, but Winnington’s performance now puts him in contention for a spot on the Paris Olympics team, which will be determined during the Australian trials in June.
Sam Short, who won the title at last year’s World Championships, put up a strong challenge against Winnington and both swimmers had their best performances since their respective titles in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Their rivalry promises an exciting showdown in future competitions as they continue to push themselves to achieve even greater feats on pool deck.
It is important to note that while these athletes have achieved great success thus far, there is always room for improvement and new challenges await them as they continue to compete at an international level. The upcoming Australian trials will be crucial for determining which swimmers will represent their country on the global stage and compete for medals at future events such as the Paris Olympics.
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