Sam Short Turns Up The Heat With His 7:31.79 To Win The 800m Free At the Australian Short Course
Former world champion Sam Short has taken just 7:31.79 to signal his intentions for the up-coming World Aquatics World Cup Series in the US – the time it took to win the 800m freestyle on the final night of the Australian Short Course Championships in Melbourne tonight.
And a time that has only been bettered by 10 other swimmers in history and one other Australian – former world record holder, Grant Hackett’s 7:23.42.
Short (Rackley, QLD) had set himself the goal of swimming 7:30.00 – a realm belonging to just eight other swimmers – and where he is confident of getting down to when the World Cups kick off in Carmel, Illinois on October 10 and 12.
It was Short’s third win of the three-day Sprints meet, adding the 800m 7:31.79 (25.46; 1:48.78; 2:45.15; 3:42.02; 4:39.04;5:36.91;6:34.99) to his wins in the 400m (3:36.12) and the 1500m freestyle (14:25.26) – all in new personal bests in his first serious short course races in five years.
He had also swum the fastest time in the 200m heats on the last morning, clocking 1:44.34 before withdrawing from the final to concentrate on the 800m.
Short said he woke up this morning feeling the effects of his 1500m from last night and his time of 14:25.26, the second fastest time by an Australian, bettered only by former world record holder Hackett’s Australian record of 14:10.10.
“But I did an alright 200m for me in the morning and I really wanted to give the 800m a good crack and get under 7:30 but I’ll have another opportunity in the World Cups,” said Short.
“I’m a tempo swimmer which is why I can keep going when I’m swimming long course but in short course I’m just getting into my rhythm and that’s when I’ve got to tumble turn and come back all over again – I’ve got a long way to go,” said Short.
“But I’m having so much fun in the short course, it’s so much different to long course…you can go out a lot harder….and I’m looking forward to racing some international competitions.”
Short has certainly capped off a big week as he chased Hackett’s times at a rate of knots at the Melbourne Sports And Aquatic Centre.
Hackett also holds the Australian 400m freestyle record at 3:34.58 – the world record set in 2002 and which lasted for seven years, before it was broken by German Paul Biedermann in a now banned supersuit in 2009. Thorpe’s best stands at 3:34.63, swum in 2003.
Short’s time of 3.36.12 (25.09; 51.83;1:46.11/1:50.01) ranks him third on the 2024/25 world rankings and is the 19th fastest time in history.
Short followed his 400m win from night one with another impressive personal best time of 14:25.26 to win the 1500m freestyle in the second fastest time by an Australian, bettered only by former world record holder Hackett’s Australian record of 14:10.10.
