Lani Pallister swims into Australian history as rivals caught in 'never seen' drama
Aussie swimmer Lani Pallister has broken a 10-year-old Commonwealth record to cap off an incredible meet at the world championship selection trials in Adelaide. On a dramatic final night in Adelaide, Pallister's historic swim in the women's 1500m freestyle grabbed the headlines after Australian Olympic great Cate Campbell was left stunned by 'never before seen' drama in the women's 50m freestyle.
Pallister won the women's 1500m free in 15 minutes 39.14 seconds, one second inside the previous Commonwealth benchmark set by New Zealander Lauren Boyle in 2015. Her extraordinary swim was also the third fastest time in the event's history and brought an end to the selection trials in style, as Australia's 40-strong team for the upcoming Singapore World Championships was finalised.
The 23-year-old Pallister was the standout swimmer of the meet after also breaking Ariarne Titmus' Australian record in the 800m freestyle. She also clocked a personal best in the 400m free after swimming under the four-minute mark for the first time on her way to victory.
"It has been a good week ... it has shown what I can do," Pallister said. "Every time I finished a race, 200 to the 1500, there's always something that I looked to be like that can be so much better... I'm just so excited to build on it, I don't think that's my limit by any means." Pallister will compete in four freestyle events at next month's worlds, ranging from 200m to 1500m.
During the final day of the 2025 Australian Swimming Trials, Lani Pallister won the women's 1500 freestyle in 15:39.14. This is a new Australian and Commonwealth record, and now she is the 3th fastest performer of all time in the event. pic.twitter.com/5iu5YbOPlo
— Swimming Stats (@SwimmingStats) June 14, 2025
10 year record BROKEN ⛓️💥Lani Pallister has set a new Commonwealth Record in the women's 1500m freestyle, breaking New Zealand's Lauren Boyle's old mark of 15:40.14 set in 2015 😳🔥This girl is an IRONWOMAN 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/xo7HccW95Z
— Australian Dolphins Swim Team (@DolphinsAUS) June 14, 2025
Pallister's incredible feat came after Paris Olympic silver medallist Meg Harris booked her ticket to Singapore by taking out the women's 50m freestyle. Harris touched ahead of Olivia Wunsch and Alexandria Perkins, who both finished second after a dead-heat that threw up a massive dilemma for national selectors and left Olympic great Campbell stunned.
Wunsch and Perkins both touched in 24.70, which was two hundredths of a second inside Swimming Australia's qualification standard for the worlds. But confusion reigned about which swimmer would claim the second spot in the event behind Harris, with Australia's coaching staff to make a call depending on their schedules and event lineups in Singapore.
Fortunately, both women already qualified for Singapore in other events, with Wunsch in the 100m free and Perkins in the 50m and 100m butterfly races. Wunsch has swum faster in the event previously, while Perkins' swim represented a new personal best as she is more of a butterfly specialist.
But a gobsmacked Campbell said during commentary for Nine that it was a situation she had never seen before. "This will be very interesting to see what happens and who gets that spot," the Olympic great said. "It's not something that I have encountered before. It's not something that I am aware what the protocols are."
Australia's 40-strong team is book-ended in age by 16-year-old Sienna Toohey and 31-year-old Cam McEvoy, who will race at a staggering seventh world championships. Kyle Chalmers also finished the meet in style after equalling his personal best in the 50m butterfly, winning in 22.89. Chalmers is unlikely to swim the event at the worlds though, given it's scheduled on the same day as the 4x100m freestyle relay.
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