2026 WA Short Course Championships: Relay Record, Impressive PBs, and Signals to Decode

When the clock stopped at 3:32.66, the electronic board at the 25m pool in Perth flashed "New Record." The Western Australia men's 4x100m freestyle relay team had just shattered the previous state record by 1.53 seconds. But to me, the more compelling number wasn't on that board—it was hidden in every turn, every underwater kick that no camera fully captured. This is the 2026 WA Age & Open Short Course Championships—a state-level event spanning three days, featuring familiar faces of Australian swimming like Olympic medalist Iona Anderson and state record-holder Joshua Yong. But if we only look at the results sheet, we miss the real story: this is where athletes test their short-course form, a stepping stone before the crucial long-course season. Let's start with Joshua Yong. He touched the wall in the 50m breaststroke at 26.61, breaking his own record of 26.82—a 0.21-second improvement. In the 100m breaststroke, he swam 57.58, just 0.1 seconds off his personal best. But this 57.58, when placed against Adam Peaty's short-course world record of 55.28, shows the gap remains vast. Yong is an excellent state-level breaststroker, but to reach international status, he needs to break 57 seconds in short course and maintain form in long course—where true record-holders are judged. Sam Carmignani is the most intriguing name. He swam the 100m IM in 56.46, improving by over 1 second from his previous personal best. This is a remarkable leap, but it raises a big question: is this a genuine breakthrough or just a single-day surge? In swimming history, improvements of over 1 second in the 100m often come from young athletes in a physical development phase, or from significant technical changes. Without split data or stroke rate, I cannot confirm the cause. But if Carmignani repeats this performance in subsequent meets, we can start talking about a rising talent. Brielle Dredge is another interesting case. She won four events: 100m breaststroke (1:07.91), 200m IM (2:18.78), 200m breaststroke (2:26.37), and 50m breaststroke (31.04). This versatility suggests good endurance and a solid breaststroke base. However, these times are still far from world-elite standards—the women's short-course 100m breaststroke world record is 1:02.5 (set by Rūta Meilutytė). Dredge may be an excellent state swimmer, but to compete nationally, she needs to improve by at least 3-4 seconds in the 100m breaststroke. Iona Anderson, despite being an Olympic medalist, only swam the 100m IM in 1:00.66—a decent time but not her specialty. Anderson is a backstroke specialist, and her participation in the IM here suggests this is a fitness test, not a primary goal. This reinforces the view that the WA meet is a testing ground, not a peak. Now, about the relay record. 3:32.66 for the men's 4x100m freestyle is a respectable state-level achievement. But without individual splits, we cannot know who swam fastest, who was slowest, or how the exchanges went. In relay swimming, exchange technique can create 0.5-1 second differences, often the deciding factor. Without this data, the record's assessment remains relative. A crucial point: short-course times cannot be directly converted to long-course. A 25m pool has more turns, allowing swimmers to exploit underwater kicks and wall pushes. Someone swimming 57.58 in short course might only manage 59.5-1:00 in long course. So these records are only valid within the short-course system, not directly reflective of Olympic or World Championship potential. Systemically, this meet has no selection value for major championships. Australia's Olympic and World Championship spots are determined through the Australian Trials (long course). Thus, the WA meet is just a milestone in training plans, helping athletes assess form after rest or accumulation phases. What's truly noteworthy here? The emergence of young swimmers like Sam Carmignani, who might be in a breakthrough phase. But it could also be a one-off. We need at least 3-5 consecutive meets to confirm a trend. Similarly, Joshua Yong needs to prove he can maintain performance in long course—where rivals like Zac Stubblety-Cook dominate. A contrarian view: we often get caught up in records and PBs, but in swimming, consistency matters more. An athlete swimming 57.58 here but 58.5 next meet is less valuable than someone swimming 58.0 across three meets. Data from a single meet is noise, not signal. That's why I always emphasize: look at the series of performances, not a single data point. So what should we track next? First, Sam Carmignani—if he continues to improve or maintain his times in upcoming long-course meets, that's a notable signal. Second, Joshua Yong—will he break 1:00 in the 100m breaststroke long course during the 2026 season? If so, he becomes a national team candidate. Third, Brielle Dredge—she could enter the Australian Open to test her true level. Finally, remember: spreadsheets have no jersey colors, but I still hear the race through every column of numbers. The 2026 WA meet doesn't shift the global swimming landscape, but it gives us the right questions to ask for the upcoming season. And that's the real value of data—not answers, but better questions.