Sydney Open, Night 2: Will Petric’s Successful Hit And Run Mission With Glasgow In His Sights
Nunawading’s prodigal son Will Petric has tonight continued his march towards an Australian 200IM ambush at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a successful hit and run mission to the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
The 21-year-old Victorian scored an all-the-way win in his only event of the 2026 Sydney Open And UniSport Nationals – upsetting Japan’s World Championship silver medallist over 400IM Tomoyuki Matsushita with fellow Victorian and Games aspirant David Schlicht third.
Petric touching in a comfortable 1:58.68 to Matsushita’s 2:00.36 and Schlicht third in 2:02.25 – a perfect hit out before Petric and Schlicht return to then2000 Olympic pool for the Australian Trials Meet – Trial for Glasgow and the 2026 Pan Pacs in Irvine.
Last night’s win follows Petric’s major victory over China’s 2020 Olympic champion Wang Shun in the China Open meet where he clocked his personal best of 1:57.53 in March and his Queensland title last December in 1:57.17.
Petric, who prepared for the Paris Olympics under St Peters Western maestro Dean Boxall in Queensland has returned home to Victoria’s premier club Nunawading and an IM Super Squad built up by head coach Jol Finck.
Nunawading not only boasts Petric but also Kiwi dual Olympian Lewis Clareburt, who won the New Zealand Championship this week in 1:57.65.
Clareburt won bronze at the 2020 Commonwealth Games behind Scotland’s Duncan Scott and England’s Tom Dean.
But they’ll all be looking over their shoulders at Petric, his sights set on Glasgow and adding his name to the list of Australians to win the event – Mitch Larkin (2018), Daniel Tranter (2014) the last time the Games were in Glasgow, Justin Norris (2002) and Matt Dunn (1994 and 1998) – Dunn’s 1994 win in Victoria, Canada the first time an Australian had won the event since it first appeared in Edinburgh in 1970.
Meanwhile Triple Olympian Rikako Ikee added the 100m butterfly to her gold medal swim on night one in the 50m butterfly and spearheaded a Japanese trifecta.
The 25-year-old National record holder clocking a comfortable 58.78 to beat teammates Mio Narita(59.89) and Shiho Matsumoto (59.91).
Ikee also finished second in the 50m freestyle to Queensland’s Hannah Casey (Bond) who added her second gold after winning the 100m freestyle on night one – also finishing second (4:17.42) in the 400m freestyle to Manly’s Sarah Locke (4:14.52).
Bond University’s Paris Olympian Ben Armbruster also added title number two, taking out the 50m butterfly after winning the 50m backstroke on the night one.
Armbruster clocking 23.42 to hold off Japanese pair Katsuhiro Matsumoto (23.84) and Shoon Mitsunaga (23.89) – the 50m freestyle awaits tomorrow.
The men’s 200m freestyle saw Japan’s World Championship bronze medallist and Paris Olympian Tatsuya Murasa powered away from Queensland’s Ed Sommerville (QLD University of technology) after Sommerville led through the 100m in 51.53 to Murasa’s 51.71.
But it was the Japanese champion who turned ahead at the 150m before charging down the final lap in 26.98 to touch first in 1:45.84; Sommerville second in 1:46.98 and Japan’s
While in Multi-Class action Paralympic champion freestyle Callum Simpson (University of Sunshine Coast, QLD) 4:26.48 won from Harrison Vig (University of QLD) 4:23.84 and Joshua Alford(University of QLD Swim Club) 4:35.94
RESULTS: 2026 NSW Sydney Open And UniSport Nationals, FINALS, Day 2:
MEN
200m freestyle
- Tatsuya Murasa (Japan) 1:45.84
- Ed Sommerville (QLD University of Technology) 1:46.98
- Asaki Nishikawa (Japan) 1:47.88
800m freestyle
- Asaki Nishikawa (Japan) 7:55.76
- Thomas Neill (Rackley, QLD) 7:58.11
- Thomas Hauck (Bond, University, QLD) 8:18.90
50m backstroke
- Ben Armbruster (Bond, QLD) 23.42
- Katsuhiro Matsumoto (Japan) 23.84
- Shoon Mitsunaga (Japan) 23.89
200m backstroke
- Hidekazu Takehara (Japan) 1:57.11
- Se-Bom Lee (University of Sydney, Technology, NSW) 1:57.27
- Stuart Swinburn City of Sydney Swim Club, NSW) 1:58.04
100m breaststroke
- Shin Ohashi (Japan) 59.40
- Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 1:00.39
- Joshua Anderson (University of QLD) 1:01.37
200IM
- Will Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 1:58.68
- Tomoyuki Matsushita (Japan) 2:00.36
- David Schlicht (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 2:02.25
WOMEN
50m freestyle
- Hannah Casey (Bond, QLD) 25.27
- Rikako Ikee (Japan) 25.48
- Ai Soma (Japan) 25.98
400m freestyle
- Sarah Locke (Manly) 4:14.52
- Hannah Casey (Bond, QLD) 4:17.42
- Georgie Roper (Griffith Uni, QLD) 4:20.62
100m backstroke
- Zoe Ammundsen (Nudgee College, QLD) 1:02.21
- Elizabeth Gan (University of Sydney, NSW) 1:02.76
- Narita Mio (Japan) 1:02.85
200m breaststroke
- Tilly King (Bond, QLD) 2:32.89
- Alanah Torrance (Monash University, VIC) 2:33.47
- Elaine Chu (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 2:37.34
100m butterfly
- Rikako Ikee (Japan) 58.78
- Mio Narita (Japan) 59.89
- Shiho Matsumoto (Japan) 59.91
MULTI-CLASS
MEN
50m freestyle
- Nicholas Layton (Monash University, VIC) 23.95
- Alex Tuckfield (Abbotsleigh, NSW) 24.68
- Tim Hodge (Blacktown, NSW) 26.89
400m freestyle
- Callum Simpson (University of Sunshine Coast, QLD) 4:26.48
- Harrison Vig (University of QLD) 4:23.84
- Joshua Alford (University of QLD Swim Club) 4:35.94
100m backstroke
- Tim Hodge (University of Western Sydney, NSW)1:05.20
- Harrison Vig (University of QLD) 1:1251
- Joshua Alford (University of QLD Swim Club) 1:11.63
WOMEN
50m freestyle
- Chloe Osborn (Blacktown, NSW) 33.92
- Lilly-Anne Gould (Griffith University Swim Club, QLD) 29.90
- Sarah Howe (Griffith University, QLD) 31.18
400m freestyle
- Sarah Howe (Griffith University, QLD) 4:54.48
- Annabelle Moloney (Cotton Tree, QLD) 4:56.05
- Victoria Belando Nicholson (University of QLD Swim Club) 5:04.43
100m backstroke
- Victoria Belando Nicholson (University of QLD Swim Club) 1:21.84
- Lilly-Anne Gould (Griffith University Swim Club, QLD) 1:20.65
- Caitlyn Hayes (Helensburg, QLD) 1:30.09
