Sloman and Gubecka Seal 10km Australian Titles

Australian Dolphins Nick Sloman (Noosa) and Chelsea Gubecka (Yeronga Park) have reaffirmed their place as the country’s premier marathon swimmers on the opening day of competition at the 2023 Australian Open Water Championships, with dominant performances to claim the Men’s and Women’s 10km Australian titles.

It was back-to-back titles for defending champion Sloman, and a fifth Australian 10km crown overall, while Gubecka went one better, claiming her sixth 10km Championship and first since 2018.

Sloman was clinical in the execution of his race plan, dragging the field out with a lightning fist lap and sitting on his lead for the majority of the race. He was challenged at the beginning of the final lap by training mate Tommy Raymond (Noosa) before calling on his significant international racing experience to pull away in a wide outside lane, coasting to victory in clear water.

Raymond maintained his position to claim the Silver medal, while Kai Edwards (Carlile) and Bailey Armstrong (USC Spartans) remarkably could not be separated on the touch in a dead heat for Bronze.

For Gubecka it was a game of chess with fellow Dolphin Moesha Johnson (Griffith University) as the pair exchanged the lead on several occasions across the course of the race.

Johnson held the front of the pack for much of the final lap before Gubecka, in a move that mirrored her classy finish to claim victory at the FINA Marathon World Series event in Israel in November, shifted to the inside lane and employed her powerful kick to draw clear in the last 100m and claim the win.

Carlile’s Maddy Gough placed third in an impressive performance so early in her Open Water career.

The Girl’s 18 Year Old 10km saw Sienna Deurloo (Toowoomba Grammar) claim the Australian title ahead of Emily Broun (Rackley) and Dakoda Mathers (Nunawading), while in the Girl’s 19 Year Old 10km it was Gold for Finella Gibbs-Beal (St Andrews) ahead of Jacqueline Davison-McGovern (Yeronga Park) and Rosie Wilson (North Coast).

In the Boy’s 18 Year Old 10km Dylan Thompson (Noosa) continued Noosa’s incredible start to the Championships, finishing ahead of Tommy Lane (Haileybury Aquatic) and Dougal Richmond (Yeronga Park). Robert Thorpe (St Peters Western) was dominant in his victory in the Boy’s 19 Year Old 10km, with Caleb Dryer (Trinity Grammar) claiming Silver and Euan Liney (Knox Pymble) the Bronze.

Daniel Carter (The Hills) claimed the Boy’s 16 Year Old 7.5km ahead of Logan Brandi (Melbourne) and Thomas Dreverman (South Shore), while in the Boy’s 17 Year Old 7.5km it was Samuel Thorpe (St Peters Western) touching out Xavier Collins (Westside Christchurch) and Samuel Higgs (Warringah).

Daisy Quinn (Sunshine Coast Grammar) took Gold in the Girl’s 7.5km race with Bianca Monaco (Westside Christchurch) and Ella Reynolds (Noosa) rounding out the podium, while in the Girl’s 17 Year Old 7.5km Taryn Roberts (Rocky City) was first ahead of Hayley Andrejic (Lightning) and Mackenzie Hunter (MLC Aquatic).