AUST AGE: Lincoln Wearing’s Record Breaking 800m freestyle Assault Continues on The Gold Coast
Queensland’s rising distance prodigy Lincoln Wearing has continued his record-breaking barrage, breaking his own 16 years 800m freestyle mark on the second night of the Australian Age Championships on the Gold Coast.
The Chandler product clocking 7:56.04 (27.15, 56.98, 1:57.64, 2:58.10, 3:58.71, 4:58.41, 5:58.47, 6:58.33) – to take 0.76secs off his own previous record.
A time set just five months ago at the Hancock Prospecting Queensland Championships where he swam an historic 7:56.80 to break Kieren Perkins long-standing 35-year mark – swum by Australia’s Olympic legend at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games.
Australian
16 Years Age Records
1994: Kieren Perkins (7:57.93)
2005: Lincoln Wearing (7:56.80)
2006: Lincoln Wearing (7:56.04)
But Wearing didn’t have things all his own way as he set about challenging his own splits.
In the early stages he was actually outside his December times for the first 100m before dipping under at the 200m mark, but with 100m to go he had again drifted outside his own record pace again and he had some work to do.
But the Tsuyoshi Kimura coached teenager dug deep and stormed home – the last 100m in 57.71 – his final 50m split, 28.21 – compared to his final 100m of 58.29 in December.
It was a performance that saw National Youth Coach Simon Cusack stand and applaud.
Another impressive showing from Wearing ahead of Singapore’s Russel Pang in 8:04.70 – and with fellow Chandler club swimmers Jesse Hamilton (8:07.78) and Wearing’s twin brother Isaac (8:18.786) next home in it assured the Chandler club of a rare podium trifecta as the first three Australians home.
Wearing saying: “I learnt so much at the National Event Camp a few months ago and it really has got me fit for this meet…. I just wanted to give myself the best chance of making the Junior Pan Pac team.”
Twelve months ago, Lincoln won this race as a 15-year-old to break 2016 Olympic 400m champion Mack Horton’s 15-years 800m record from 2011. He then went on to win the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m free and the 200m back.
In all, 11 qualifying swims for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships were recorded on the second night along with two National Age records.
Albury, NSW’s Sienna Toohey, the Australian Open champion from last week, claiming gold in the girls’ 17-years 100m breaststroke – in a personal best time of 1:06.43 – an Australian All-Comers record and a Junior Pan Pacific qualifying time.
(The previous All-Comers mark had been set by Japan’s Kanako Watanabe back in 2014 when she finished second at the Pan Pacs in the same Gold Coast Aquatic Centre pool).
Toohey, 17, will contest the Commonwealth Games Trials in June with the Pan Pacific Championships also on her international dance card.
Second home was opening night 200IM winner, Amelie Smith (Rocky City, QLD) who touched in 1:08.65, adding the 400m freestyle in 4:15.55 to come home over the top of Ava Gaske (Chandler) 4:15.86 in a thriller with Tilly Fikkers (Dapto, NSW) third in 4:17.46.
Quinn Richards (Camberwell Grammar, VIC) became the first 14-year-old Australian to go under 1:04.00 in the 100m breaststroke.
Richards smashed the existing boys National Age record of 1:04.21 (set last year by Koa Stotz) with a new Australian record time of 1:03.65.
Raphael Taewoo Oh (Knox Pymble, NSW) finished second in 1:05.12 followed by Gold Coast’s Levi Anderson (Somerset, QLD) in 1:05.79.
Record-breaking opening night backstroker Henry Allan (Bendigo east, VIC) claimed his second National title in two days, stopping the clock at 1:48.80 and was the only finalist to go under the 1minute 50s mark in the boys’ 17 Years 200m freestyle Charlie Austin (Brisbane Jets) 1:50.01 was second home followed by Oliver McCormack (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 1:51.57).
While Victorian Lucy Ma (MLC Aquatic) celebrated her 15th birthday with a golden two-second PB in the women’s 14 years 100m backstroke.
Ma, a standout performer in her age group, still 14 on the first day of the meet, touched in 1:04.44 to claim her second gold of the meet – after winning the 14 years 100m breaststroke on night one.
In other results:
Girls’ 18 Years 100m Breaststroke: Hayley Mackinder (Griffith University, QLD), training under decorated coach Mel Marshall, is a rapidly rising name amongst Griffith’s rich breaststroke stocks and who successfully defended her 100m breaststroke National title. Mackinder claimed gold in 1:09.23 ahead of Ava Rollason (Cruiz, ACT) 1:10.34 and Ella Mounter (NUSwim, NSW) 1:11.04.
Boys’ 18 Years 200m Freestyle: It was anyone’s race at the final turn in the 18-year boys’ 200m freestyle, especially between Lucas Fackerell (Hale Aquatics Swim Club, WA) and local Gold Coast boys Tomo Shadforth (Miami, QLD) and Campbell Wilson-Moran (Bond, QLD). Shadforth touching in 1:50.05 followed closely by Fackerell (1:50.13) and Wilson-Moran (1:50.19).
Girls’ 16 Years 200m Butterfly: Heidi Shumack (SOPAC, NSW) smashed out a 2:13.17 to win the 16-year girls’ 200m butterfly by almost four seconds. Queensland’s Brisbane Grammar clubmates Siena Gibson (2:16.64) and Madeline Field (2:16.73) finished second and third respectively.
See full results: https://liveresults.swimming.org.au/sal/2026Age/
