Western Australia Relay Record and the Breathing of the 25-Metre Pool: Numbers That Never Lie

An empty stadium, and the ball seemed to cry a poem. But in the 25-metre pool, the sound of water still hums like its own symphony. When athletes touched the wall, the clock stopped, and a new record was written with sweat, with breath, with the thrashing of legs nobody sees. I have followed many swimming meets, but every time I witness a state record being set, I remember that behind the numbers lies a generation diving deeper, swimming faster, and quietly dreaming of bigger arenas.

The 2026 WA Age & Open Short Course Championships has just concluded after three days of racing in a 25-metre pool. It was not a qualification event for the Olympics, nor a stage for international stars to shine. But it is precisely in meets like this that Australia’s swimming depth is revealed. From the blue water, four names emerged: Iona Anderson, Sam Carmignani, Joshua Yong, and Brielle Dredge. They are not from the same era, not at the same level, but they all left their mark in a race where the state history book was turned to a new page.

Context: A meet of quiet ambition

The short-course pool, 25 metres long, is the domain of turns, underwater work, and continuous dolphin kicks. Unlike the long-course 50-metre pool—where Olympic records are set—the short course demands explosive power and seamless transitions. In the 2026-2026 season, post-Paris and pre-Los Angeles 2028, Australian swimmers are testing the slickness of their bodies, seeing how far they have come after the new training cycle.

This meet stands on the third tier of the international hierarchy: a state-level competition where local clubs like Highlanders, Hale Aquatics, and Kwinana send their brightest talents. For many athletes, it is a chance to set personal marks; for some, a moment to break state records. But for scouts, it is a clear picture of potential, because numbers never lie, even when they are only local.

Core analysis: The numbers that speak

The most outstanding result was the men’s 4x100-metre freestyle relay record. With a time of 3 minutes 32 point 66 seconds, the Western Australia relay team beat the previous record by 1.53 seconds. In relay swimming, 1.53 seconds is a massive gap; it shows synchronised hand-offs, sustained speed across each leg, and a rare team spirit. Although split times are unavailable, that smooth exchange pattern cannot come from a single individual; it is the product of early-morning training sessions, countless touches of the hand in the water, and absolute trust.

Joshua Yong, a seasoned national-team breaststroker, created a personal milestone by breaking the All-Comers & Residential Record of Western Australia in the 50-metre breaststroke with a time of 26.61 seconds. He improved by 0.21 seconds over his previous record (26.82). In breaststroke, hundredths of a second matter, and his consistency across the 50m, 100m, and 200m distances demonstrates endurance and technical maturity. He touched the wall in the 100-metre breaststroke at 57.58, closing in on his own record. But unfortunately, these numbers, while excellent at state level, are still far from world-class. The short-course world record for the 100-metre breaststroke belongs to Adam Peaty at 55.28, a gap of more than two seconds. Thus, Yong’s performance must be seen in context: a leading swimmer in Western Australia, but not yet a world medal contender.

Sam Carmignani is a new name, a promising question mark. He finished the 100-metre individual medley in 56.46 seconds, a personal best with an improvement of more than one second. A second in swimming is a leap; it suggests a major change in fitness, technique, or tactics. But the question is whether this performance can be repeated or is just a flash. With young swimmers, one personal best does not equal sustainable progress. I have seen many swimmers shine at state meets, then vanish within a season. It comes down to consistency, to whether that new technique holds under the pressure of bigger stages.

Brielle Dredge, a lesser-known athlete, produced a commendable feat by winning four events: the 100m breaststroke (1:07.91), 200m individual medley (2:18.78), 200m breaststroke (2:26.37), and 50m breaststroke (31.04). This uniformity reflects a solid breaststroke base, good pacing, and stable race temperament. Yet these times are not close to national standards, and she is not mentioned in national team discussions. Dredge is a typical example of Western Australia’s depth, where state-level swimmers still toil without the need for the spotlight.

Contrarian angle: State records do not predict the future

While local media may celebrate these records, we need a sober view. Times achieved in a 25-metre pool cannot be directly translated to the 50-metre long course—where the Olympics are held. Short-course world records can be 1-2 seconds faster than long-course times because of more turns that help maintain speed. So if Joshua Yong wants to become a serious international rival, he must show similar improvement in the long course. The relay record of 3:32.66 is also impressive in raw numbers, but it only reflects state-level depth, not a signal that Australia is about to dominate world relays.

Moreover, Iona Anderson, though an Olympic medallist, won the 100m individual medley in 1:00.66, not her best event. She is a backstroke specialist; this performance may be just a side test in her training plan. It reminds us that not every result at lower-tier meets is an absolute measure of talent. Sometimes an athlete competes to train, to get a feel for racing, not to chase records.

Signals to track and the road ahead

The lesson from this meet is not in the specific numbers, but in the signals we need to follow. Sam Carmignani deserves attention at future meets. If he continues to improve or maintain his level, that is a sign of a rising talent. Joshua Yong should be evaluated through the long-course season; if he breaks the one-minute barrier in the 100m breaststroke in a long-course pool, he will enter national contention. Brielle Dredge, though less noticed, is worth following for her versatility in breaststroke, which could bring her closer to the Australian Open Championships.

Having followed Australian swimming for years, I notice that state-level swimmers often use meets like this to test their fitness before important selection races. The summer of 2026 will be the real test when the Australian Short Course Championships occur, followed by a series of domestic long-course meets. If today’s record-breakers cannot translate their form to larger stages, their names will quickly be forgotten in the flood of information. But if they sustain their progress, this generation of Western Australia may write even more beautiful stories on the national and international stages.

The 25-metre pool is not as flashy as the long course. There are fewer spectators, cameras do not catch every moment, and those touches are not honoured with gold medals on major news sites. But under the lights of a state pool, tears, smiles, and final reaches quietly remain. The relay record and Yong’s individual record are the first bricks for a long journey ahead. And I believe that among the lesser-known names today, a few will step into the light of the world stage, so that we will again hear the water croon a poem.

In the last three meets, a group of Western Australian swimmers has shown clear time improvements. Based on my experience following competitions, this rate of progress often comes from changes in training programs, such as increased underwater technique practice or improved kickouts after dives. Sam Carmignani, with his one-second personal best, may have found a new method or simply entered a biological growth phase. We cannot jump to conclusions, but his path ahead is worth listening to.

Another intriguing point is the absence of officiating controversies or technical violations. The meet ran clean, reflecting professional sports management even at the state level. This adds credibility to the records, as they are set within a transparent framework.

Finally, the biggest question remains: will today’s successes be enough to change history? The answer lies in persistence, in whether each athlete continues to grind after the lights go out. The 2026 Western Australia Short Course Championships will be just a silent dot in memory, or the starting point for future golden pages. The ball—or the water—is still quietly watching.