Forrester breaks 17yo record at short course titles
Jenna Forrester has never competed at the short course world championships, but winning a silver and a gold in the same evening, also beating a 17-year-old a national record, has put her in pole position to do so.
Jenna Forrester shattered the Australian record in the women's 400m Individual Medley (IM) at the short course championships in Sydney. The 23-year-old swimmer completed the race in 4:28.39, improving upon Ellen Fullerton's 17-year-old record by 0.33 seconds. Forrester's achievement was particularly impressive, as she had only recently competed in the 200m backstroke, finishing second to Iona Anderson.
The young swimmer expressed her surprise and enthusiasm after the race, noting that she had not trained extensively in short course. Forrester's outstanding 2026 has been marked by three individual gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, including titles in the 200m backstroke, 200m IM, and 400m IM, as well as a bronze in the 400m freestyle.
She has also claimed a silver in the 400m IM at the Pan Pacs in California. The Australian Short Course Championships in Sydney will see just 24 athletes selected for the team that will compete in Beijing from December 1-6. Forrester has expressed her desire to represent Australia at the World Championships and is ready to compete against top swimmers like Matt Richards, Kyle Chalmers, and David Popovici.
In the men's 100m freestyle, Commonwealth Games champion Flynn Southam dominated the race with a time of 45.61. The Australian swimmer expressed his excitement about returning to form after the Commonwealth Games and his eagerness to compete at the upcoming World Championships.
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