Olympic Foursome to Leads Aussies For Open Water World Cup

Australian Olympic foursome to Spearhead 10-Strong Dolphins For Open Water World Cup

Olympic and world champions Moesha Johnson, Chelsea Douyere (Gubecka), Kyle Lee and Nick Sloman will spearhead the 10-strong Australian team to contest the 2026 World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup in Spain next month.

The foursome will be joined by World Championship representatives Thomas Raymond (Kawana Waters, QLD), Bailey Armstrong (Miami, QLD) and Tayla Martin (Carlile, NSW) with rookies Tiana Kritzinger (Rackley, QLD), Euan Linley (Knox Pymble) and Sienna Deurloo (Toowoomba Grammar) rounding out the team.

Kritzinger, who made her Australian Swimming Team debut two years ago. swimming the 1500m at the World Short Course Championships in Budapest, has transitioned into open water with flying colours, winning bronze in the women’s 10km event behind Johnson and Martin at the recent Australian Open Water Championships in Bunbury.

Johnson and Lee were the stars of the three-day event at Koombana Bay, dual world champion Johnson winning the 5 and 10km double and the 3km Knockout Sprint, Paris Olympian Lee defending his 5 and 10km double.

World Open Water Swimming Cup Funded Athletes

Men’s 10km Ranking

1. Nick Sloman (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC)
2. Kyle Lee (North Coast, WA)
3. Tom Raymond (Kawana Waters, QLD)
4. Bailey Armstrong (Miami, QLD)
5. Euan Liney (Knox Pymble, NSW)

Women’s 10km Rankings

1. Chelsea Douyere-Gubecka (Chandler QLD)
2. Moesha Johnson (Miami, QLD)
3. Tayla Martin (Carlile, NSW)
4. Tiana Kritzinger (Rackley, QLD)
5. Sienna Deurloo (Toowoomba Grammar, QLD)

Australia will also send a 10-strong team to the World Aquatics Junior Open Water Swimming Championships in the freshwater lake, Lago Sur in Santa Fe, Argentina, from September 3-6, following the National Championships.

The team is:

10km Boy’s 18-19

1.Daniel Cater (The Hills, NSW)

2. Lachlan Evans (St Peters Western, QLD)

10km Girl’s 18-19

1.Bianca Monaco (North Coast, WA)

2. Eleanor Flowers (North Coast, WA

7.5km Boys’ 16-17 

1. Riley Meares (St Peters Western, QLD)
2. William Thorpe (St Peters Western, QLD)

7.5km Girl’s 16-17 

1. Olivia Galea (Chandler, QLD)
2. Isobel Mulcahy (Carlile, NSW)

5km Boys’ 14-15

1, Mason Kopff (Sunshine Coast Grammar, QLD)

 5km Girls’ 14-15

1.Mia Hoo (Carlile, NSW)

Apart from the individual events, the junior program will also include the 3km sprint knockout for each gender and the 4×1500m Mixed Relay.

Australian Open Water Head Coach Fernando Possenti, who will spearhead the Dolphins towards the 2028 LA Olympic Games is “excited” by the Next Generation.

“I am so excited by this 10-member team and what they can do over the next four years,” said Possenti.

 “We have seen the senior team grow internationally so much in the past 18 months.

“And now we have the next tier of athletes coming through and I know that these swimmers, and our program, can challenge the best swimmers in the world.”