Kyle Lee Wins 5km National Title After Original Race Abandoned; Moesha Johnson Wraps Up Women’s Treble
Local hero Kyle Lee had to survive a re-start and a strong challenge from Olympic teammate Sam Short before adding the 5km National crown to his gold medal tally on a disruptive final day of the Australian Open Water Championships in Bunbury, WA.
The men’s 5km was abandoned and then re-started after 30km/hr winds dislodged a turning buoy after the first lap, with 23-year-old Lee claiming the title after Paris Olympic teammate Short had set a cracking pace.
Short unleashed a catch-me-if-you-can tactic that almost paid off – Lee finally catching the 3km knockout winner in the closing stages.
Lee making his move in the second last lap, surging through the field to pick up Short’s feet to then slip past the former 400m freestyle world champion at the last turn.
The boy from champion club North Coast, WA, adding the 5km crown to his win in the Olympic distance 10km title and the 4×1.5km relay in a time of 56 minutes and 49 seconds, ahead of Short (Rackley, QLD) in 56:50.30 who out-touched the ever-present Thomas Raymond (Kawana Waters, QLD) 56:50.40 in a blanket finish.
The Bunbury-born Lee admitting It was a bit confusing when the first race was abandoned.
“No one really knew why the race was being stopped but I think that’s the thing with open water, you soon learn to be adaptable and it’s such an important skill in the race, so I guess applying it to outside the race, making sure I didn’t get too stressed or worried about anything, just mentally resetting for the next race was so important,” Lee said.
“As a swimmer (a shark sighting) is your first thought when they abandon the race. But they soon told us the reason was (that) a buoy moved, so that definitely took the stress away.
“I think that’s the first race (that I’ve been in) that’s been abandoned. I thought Swimming Australia did a good job to try and reassure us what the next stage was going to be and helped us swimmers get ready to compete.
“It’s just about re-setting and putting everything that happened behind you. It’s a new race and it doesn’t matter where you were before. It’s about setting yourself up as good as you can again and that’s just what I tried to do and I thought I executed it really well.
“With two laps to go, I tried to move up but Sam’s so quick he didn’t want to give us a sniff of it. (There were) many times I tried to put in a surge to try and get next to him but the speed he has, made it so difficult.
“I was only able to get up next to him on that last straight and then Tommy (Raymond) came up on the other side of me. It’s always a bit nerve wracking when you have someone either side of you but I tried to just control what I could and focus on getting that touch.”
Lee’s Olympic teammate, Paris silver medallist and two-time world champion Moesha Johnson (Miami, QLD) also took home a hat trick of titles with a dominant performance in the in today’s 5km women’s race, after victories in the Olympic 10km distance and the 3km knockout sprint.
Johnson stopping the clock at 58:43.60 with Japan’s Sachika Kajimoto second (58:49.70) and Sydney’s Tayla Martin (Carlile, NSW) third (1:00:39.50).
After a breakout 2025 season, Johnson has become the world’s premier female open water athlete but today’s 5km field also featured another champion in 19-year-old Chloe Broderick.
In an act reflecting the spirit and sportsmanship of the Pierre de Coubertin Medal, the Australian Junior swimmer paused her own race to come to the aid of a fellow swimmer and call for assistance before resuming and winning bronze.
For Lee and Johnson, their 10km efforts resulted in an $8000 winner’s cheque and funding for qualification races in Spain and Italy for the Pan Pacific Championships to be held in California in August.
Johnson saying the presence of Japan’s Sachika Kajimoto behind her kept the world champion on her toes the whole way and didn’t let her relax.
“That was great for me and great to practice to have the pressure behind me,” Johnson said.
“Also (it was) great to have some crazy conditions to race in to practice experiencing that … having the added challenge of the elements and conditions it makes our sport so interesting.
“My goal this year is to participate in all the World Cup stops … (I’m) also chasing some pool swimming in between all that and finishing off with Pan Pacs which is an LA preparation for us.
“I really chose to push every single race and put myself under a lot of fatigue and I did that, so I was quite tired today but that’s the goal. (I will) go home, train and back it up in and out, maybe go back and have a look at my training plan so that’s all aligned to make sure I can back up for World Cups.”
In today’s Multi-class events; Amie Holwill, (S19, Bunbury, WA) went back-to-back to win National titles in the 14 & overs 5km while Daniel Rigby (S9, Knox Pymble, NSW)) won the Men’s 5km multi-class 14 & over.
While for age-group athletes, the meet was a chance to put themselves in front of selectors for the Junior World Championships in Argentina with Daniel Carter (The Hills, NSW), Mia Hoo (Carlile, NSW), St Peters Western, QLD trio Lachlan Evans, Riley Meares and William Thorpe and North Coast, WA pair Eleanor Flowers and Bianca Monaco, all putting themselves in contention.
Results to follow……
