Australian Dolphins | 05 July 2022
Dolphins thrive in return to world stage
The Australian Dolphins have reaffirmed their position as an international swimming powerhouse with an impressive showing at the FINA World Championships in Budapest in their first outing since last year’s record-breaking Olympics campaign.
The Dolphins finished with 17 medals overall, including 6 Gold, 9 Silver and 2 Bronze to place second only to long term rivals America.
The result was only four medals short of the team’s historic performance in Tokyo, an impressive feat with 11 rookies on the team making their international debut for the Dolphins.
Australia’s relay supremacy was again on show, medalling in six Finals including 2 Gold and 4 Silver, headlined by a World Record winning performance by the 4x100m Mixed Freestyle Relay team of Jack Cartwright, Kyle Chalmers, Madi Wilson and Mollie O’Callaghan.
The quarter shaved .02 off the previous best mark, wrestling away America’s stranglehold over both the World Title and World Record in another classic battle between the two nations.
O’Callaghan left an indelible mark on the Championships herself as the most medalled athlete in Budapest, including a maiden individual title in the 100m Freestyle where she became the youngest woman in 30 years to win the event at the World Championships.
O’Callaghan’s six medals saw her take home the Susie O’Neill award as Australia’s Female Athlete of the Championships.
For the men, Elijah Winnington and Zac Stubblety-Cook were joint winners of the Kieren Perkins award as male athlete of the meet.
Winnington laid the perfect platform for the team with his inspiring swim on the opening night of competition to claim his first World Championship in the Men’s 400m Freestyle, while Stubblety-Cook added a World Title to his Olympic Crown and World Record with a comprehensive victory in his pet event of the 200m Breaststroke.
The Dolphins focus has now firmly switched to preparations for the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games, commencing on July 28.
Medal winners from the 2022 FINA World Championships are as follows:
| Men’s 400m Freestyle | Elijah Winnington | Gold | 3:41.22 |
| Women’s 100m Freestyle | Mollie O’Callaghan | Gold | 52.67 |
| Women’s 200m Backstroke | Kaylee McKeown | Gold | 2:05.08 |
| Men’s 200m Breaststroke | Zac Stubblety-Cook | Gold | 2:07.07 |
| Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay | Jack Cartwright
Kyle Chalmers Madi Wilson Mollie O’Callaghan | Gold | 3:19.38 (WR)
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| Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay | Mollie O’Callaghan
Madi Wilson Meg Harris Shayna Jack | Gold | 3:30.95 |
| Women’s 200m Medley | Kaylee McKeown | Silver | 2:08.57 |
| Women’s 200m Freestyle | Mollie O’Callaghan | Silver | 1:55.22 |
| Women’s 200m Breaststroke | Jenna Strauch | Silver | 2:23.04 |
| Women’s 800m Freestyle | Kiah Melverton | Silver | 8:18.77 |
| Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay | Will Yang
Matt Temple Jack Cartwright Kyle Chalmers | Silver | 3:10.80 |
| Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay | Kaylee McKeown
Zac Stubblety-Cook Matt Temple Shayna Jack | Silver | 3:41.34 |
| Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay | Madi Wilson
Leah Neale Kiah Melverton Mollie O’Callaghan | Silver | 7:43.86 |
| Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay | Elijah Winnington
Zac Incerti Sam Short Mack Horton | Silver | 7:03.50 |
| Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay | Kaylee McKeown
Jenna Strauch Brianna Throssell Mollie O’Callaghan | Silver | 3:54.25 |
| Women’s 1500m Freestyle | Lani Pallister | Bronze | 15:48.96 |
| Women’s 50m Freestyle | Meg Harris | Bronze | 24.38 |
