New Zealand World Champions Erika Fairweather and Lewis Clareburt In Dominant Form At The Victorian Championships
World champion New Zealanders Erika Fairweather and Lewis Clareburt have already left their mark on the Melbourne Sports And Aquatic Centre after two days of the 2026 Mattioli Victorian Open Championships.
Fairweather added the 400m freestyle to her 800m victory from night one – lowering a long-standing Victorian All-Comers record set by French Olympic and three-time world champion Laure Manaudau at the 2007 Melbourne World Championships.
The 22-year-old 2024 world champion clocked 4:02.52 t(1:59.73) to take 0.09secs off Manaudau’s winning time of 4:02.61, set 17 years ago.
Fairweather left the field well behind her with Molly Walker (Southern Performance, SA) taking the silver medal in 4:11.71 and Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) the bronze in 4:15.93.
Her fellow 2024 world champion, Clareburt (Nunawading, VIC) also continued on his winning ways with his second impressive win in two days – taking out the 200m individual medley in 1:58.31.
Swimming away from Gabriel Gorgas (Swimming Metro East, NSW) 2:02.17 and Sydney’s two-time Olympian Se-Bom Lee (SOPAC, NSW) 2:02.29.
Clareburt feeling tight at home after making the move to leave New Zealand and link up with coach Jol Finck at Nunawading.
The move certainly paying immediate dividends, Clareburt also taking the 200m butterfly in 1:58.31 on night one, adding silver in the 100m freestyle in 49.61, with the 400IM to come on the final day.
In other highlights, South Australia’s world champion in the 4x200m freestyle, Brittany Castelluzzo added the 100m butterfly in 57.99 to her 100m freestyle win in her personal best time of 54.30.
There was a triple treat for Queensland’s St Andrews club and coach Ashley Delaney with
Chloe Rowe-Hagans (25.06) Mackenzie Burns (25.78) Alyssa Lawson (25.90) taking a rare trifecta in the 50m freestyle – all three girls clocking personal best times in a classic finish.
While 2024 world champion Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) continued his comeback from a serious knee injury to add the 100m breaststroke in 1:00.68 to his win on night one in the 50m breaststroke final – beating fellow Paris Olympian Joshua Yong (Highlanders, WA) 1:01.45 and Cameron Jordan (Bendigo East, VIC) 1:02.03.
2026 Mattioli Victorian Open Championships, Day 2, Finals:
MEN
200m freestyle
- Cameron Bladen (Tigersharks, VIC) 1:47.98
- Gabriel Gorgas (Swimming Metro East, NSW) 1:50.89
- James McBride (Western Melbourne Propulsion, VIC) 1:51.29
800m freestyle
- Luke Higgs (Warringah, NSW) 8:08.61
- Corben Powell (Marion, SA) 8:27.07
- Joshua Carns (Nunawading, VIC) 8:36.60
200m backstroke
- Stuart Swinburn (City Of Sydney Aquatics, NSW) 1:58.84
- Rishabh Das (India) 2:01.12
- Jack Morrow (St Andrews, QLD) 2:02.61
100m breaststroke
- Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 1:00.68
- Joshua Yong (Highlanders, WA) 1:01.45
- Cameron Jordan (Bendigo East, VIC) 1:02.03
50m butterfly
- Isaac Cooper (St Andrews, QLD) 23.72
- Matt Temple (Marion, SA) 23.75
- Joseph Hamson (Swimming Metro East, NSW) 24.06
200m individual medley
- Lewis Clareburt (Nunawading, VIC) 1:58.31
- Gabriel Gorgas (Swimming Metro East, NSW) 2:02.17
- Se-Bom Lee (SOPAC, NSW) 2:02.29
MULTI-CLASS
50m freestyle
- Rowan Crothers (Marion, SA) 23.66
- Nicholas Layton (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 24.19
- James Logan (Geelong Sharks, VIC) 28.45
100m freestyle
- Col Pearse (Nunawading, VIC) 59.14*
- James Logan (Geelong Sharks, VIC) 1:02.17
- Lockie Bellion (Traralgon, VIC) 1:04.30
*butterfly time
100m breaststroke
- Callum Simpson (Flinders Phoenix, QLD) 1:27.29
- Lockie Bellion (Traralgon, VIC) 1:22.45
- Bradley Doolan (Geelong, VIC) 1:49.86
WOMEN
50m freestyle
- Chloe Rowe-Hagans (St Andrews, QLD) 25.06
- Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews, QLD) 25.78
- Alyssa Lawson (St Andrews, QLD) 25.90
400m freestyle
- Erika Fairweather (North Shore, NZ) 4:02.52 (Victorian All-Comers Record)
- Molly Walker (Southern Performance, SA) 4:11.71
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 4:15.93
100m backstroke
- Alyssa Burgess (Highlanders, WA) 1:01.52
- Semra Olowoniyi (Nunawading, VIC) 1:02.20
- Alexander Skinner (Caulfield, VIC) 1:03.40
200m breaststroke
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:28.75
- Lily Koch (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:31.14
- Reidel Smith (Nunawading, VIC) 2:31.69
100m butterfly
- Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 57.99
- Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 58.21
- Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews, QLD) 1:00.78
MULTI-CLASS
50m freestyle
- Mia Hogan (Corowa, NSW) 29.15
- Sarah Howe (Ballarat Gold, VIC) 31.03
- Lili-Fox Mason (Wharenui, NZ) 31.14
100m freestyle
- Sarah Howe (Ballarat Gold, VIC) 1:07.10
- Jasmine Fullgrabe (Marion, SA) 1:08.28
- Lili-Fox Mason (Wharenui, NZ) 1:09.09
100m breaststroke
- Kuba Nakahigashi (Ivanhoe, VIC) 1:23.29
- Ruby Halliday (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 1:43.29
- Dorothy Pasko (Hungary) 1:31.71
