Alexandria Perkins Ready to Escape Shadow Cast by Aussie Countrywomen
Sometimes, it’s not easy to escape shadows. During the recent World Cup series in North America, it was Gretchen Walsh who rightfully occupied the spotlight in the sprint-butterfly events. Meanwhile, Olympic champions Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan deservedly receive the greatest attention among Australian women, along with Lani Pallister, whose international profile is surging.
But don’t forget about Alexandria Perkins.
The 24-year-old has made significant strides since her Olympic debut in Paris, where Perkins advanced to the semifinals of the 100-meter butterfly. Following the Paris Games, Perkins earned bronze medals in the 50 butterfly and 100 butterfly at the 2024 World Short Course Championships. She followed with a silver medal in the 50 fly and a bronze medal in the 100 fly at the 2025 World Champs in Singapore. There, Perkins cracked the 57-second barrier in the 100 fly on three occasions, including a best of 56.19 in the semifinals.
Most recently, Perkins starred at the World Cup, where she registered six runnerup finishes to Walsh – three in the 50 fly and three in the 100 fly. Along the way, Perkins set an Australian record of 24.60 in the short-course version of the 50 fly and a national mark of 54.93 in the 100 fly.
Perkins has proven herself in the long-course and short-course pools and will have plenty of opportunities to flourish in the Olympic-sized tank during the 2026 season. With the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships scheduled for next year, high-level racing will not be hard to come by. More, Perkins will have the chance to chase some significant marks in the long-course butterfly events.
With a best of 25.31 in the 50 fly, Perkins isn’t far off becoming the third woman in history to go sub-25 in the event. Only Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (24.43) and Walsh (24.66) have accomplished the feat. As for the 100 fly, Perkins is within striking distance of the Australian record, which belongs to Emma McKeon at 55.72, produced at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
At a time when the Australian women are stacked with talent, Perkins shouldn’t be overshadowed too much longer.
