Lani Pallister wins 400m freestyle at Australian Open Swimming Championships

Lani Pallister pulled off one of the shocks of the Australian Swimming Championships, beating reigning world champion Erika Fairweather of New Zealand in the women's 400m freestyle at the Australian Swimming Championships at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre on Wednesday night.

With two-time reigning Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus skipping the national titles, Pallister roared to victory by a body length, stopping the clock in a time of 4:02.34.

"It was good fun," Pallister said after the race.

"I've said all week I didn't think I'd be that fast in-season, so I'm happy that I think that's probably one of my fastest in-season times, only 0.6 off my best.

"So yeah, I'll take it."

Pallister, like most of the swimmers at these championships, has her eyes firmly focused on the World Championship Trials in Adelaide in June, acknowledging that she was not expecting a good time.

Lani Pallister claimed her second gold of the competition. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

"I think this week for me is a training week, I think we dropped for like two sessions coming in, but that's really it," Pallister said.

"So I think a lot of the guys at St Peter's [Western] didn't think we would be swimming times like we are, but I think it's really exciting going through into [the World Championships in] Singapore.

"But yeah, I just wanted to get behind the block as many times as possible, get used to diving again, being in a comp pool and really going to trials in good shape."

Pallister beat out Fairweather, who finished fourth in the Paris Olympic final, by 2.21 seconds, with Jamie Perkins third and Mollie O'Callaghan in fourth.

Erika Fairweather finished in second place in the 400m freestyle. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

O'Callaghan revealed that she feels like she's "kicking with one leg at the moment" as she continues to recover from a dislocated knee.

Fairweather was New Zealand's first ever gold medallist at a World Aquatics Championships, winning the women's 400 freestyle in Doha in 2024, albeit in a race where the sport's big three — Ariarne Titmus, Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh — were absent.

Fairweather is one of just five women, alongside Titmus, Ledecky, McIntosh and Italian Federica Pellegrini, who have broken the mythical four-minute barrier, doing so in the so-called race of the century at the 2023 World Championships, where she finished in third place behind Titmus and Ledecky.

The podium for the race of the century at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)

But on Wednesday, the 21-year-old from Dunedin had to settled for second behind Pallister, who was in sublime form, taking a body-length lead through the first 200 metres and holding on from there.

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"Erika and I have grown up racing, I think the first time we raced each other was 2018 junior Pan Pacs maybe, so it's kind of been a long time coming," Pallister said.

"I know she's had a change of program, she had a fairly long off season after the Olympics, so I don't think a meet like this really has that much bearing on it.

"But also the 400 to me as an event that's making my 800 and 1,500 better, it's definitely not a priority I guess in terms of the three events.

"I race it because I'm good at it, but yeah I think it's just been it's been a good week getting back into racing."

The 400 metres might not be a priority, but neither was distance swimming at all.

Lani Pallister led from the first length of the eight-length race. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

Pallister, who won her first eight national titles in butterfly races, revealed that she accidentally highlighted the 800 metres instead of the 100 metres butterfly, which were next to each other on the program — and subsequently had a tantrum when she was made to swim it.

"It's funny how those things happen," Pallister said.

"It's kind of like a door opening just for the sake of it opening.

It's a good job it did.

"Like, the first 800 I made the state quali [qualification time], my first ever state race I made the national qualis, and then I made the junior national team off the back of that."

Now, you can barely keep Pallister out the water at all.

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Throughout the summer, barely a weekend went past when Pallister was not competing in an open water swim or Ironman Surf Lifesaving event.

"I've grown up with life saving my whole life," Pallister said.

"And doing Pier to Pub and those sorts of ocean swims is always really fun, and I think it's a good way to keep active.

"If I sit still for too long my mind just goes all over the place, so I think keeping moving and doing things, whether it's going and seeing friends or going and doing an ocean swim, even if I'm not a 100 per cent fit, is always really good for the mental health."

Given Pallister's intense program this week, where she won the 800 and 400 metres, swam in the 200m butterfly and will swim the 200 metres freestyle on Friday, perhaps sitting still won't be a problem.

McEvoy sets out world record plan

Cameron McEvoy was buzzing after nailing his start. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

Elsewhere, Cameron McEvoy flew down the 50m freestyle, swimming a 21.48, just 0.05 off the fastest time in the world this year.

"I'm stoked with the time," McEvoy said post-race.

"I don't know about tonight, but this morning … I've been working a lot on my first 15 [metres].

"I was like third last to 15 in Paris, 0.2 behind like Caeleb [Dressel] and the top guys.

"This morning, I raced my 15 PB [personal best] by like more than 0.1 [seconds] and yeah, I've just spent the rest of the day on a high with that.

"I never thought I was like a dive guy. I was definitely more of, like, the technique sorta dude.

"But yeah, to lay out a plan for improving that, and then it actually it actually happens? That's pretty cool. It's a nice feeling.

"If I can take my first 15 from this morning, add my 15 to 35 best time, add them together and that's the world record.

"So now I gotta somehow find a way to do them at the same time."

Tara Kinder won the 200m breaststroke. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

In the other events, 21-year-old Tara Kinder (2:31.06) held on to beat Paris Olympic semi-finalist, 20-year-old Ella Ramsay (2:31.21) in the women's 200m breaststroke, continuing their impressive rivalry this week.

Kaylee McKeown added the 50 metres backstroke to her 100m title, swimming 27.22 to edge a fast-finishing O'Callaghan, who touched in 27.51.

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Enoch Robb claimed the 50m backstroke title with a time of 54.85 from defending champion Brad Woodward (55.21), while Ben Goedemans swam a superb personal best of 7:52.52 in the men's 800m freestyle.

The internationals got a leg up over the local opposition in a handful of the other finals.

New Zealand's Lewis Clareburt won the 200 metres individual medley, fractionally ahead of 20-year-old St Peter's Western swimmer William Petric.

Meanwhile, Italian Thomas Ceccon powered past Australian record holder Matthew Temple to win the 100m butterfly and Japan's Rikako Ikee beat Alex Perkins in the 50m butterfly by 0.07 seconds.

Tim Hodge (S9) claimed victory in the multi-class 200m IM in a superb time just outside the world record, while Ben Hance (S14) swam a brilliant 50m backstroke to claim gold in the multi-class event.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Hannah Price (S10) doubled up on the night, winning 200m IM and 50 back multi-class events.

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