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Bull Sharks make a splash at Australian Championships

Max Giuliani
Max Giuliani claimed gold in his first major meet since becoming a Bond student. Credit Swimming Australia and Delly Carr 

The national 200m and 400m freestyle titles are coming home to Bond after a pair of scholarship holders triumphed at the Australian Open Swimming Championships.  

Hancock Prospecting Swimming Excellence Scholarship recipients Max Giuliani and Elijah Winnington took gold in the 200m and 400m respectively at Chandler Aquatic centre this week. 

It capped a golden two weeks in the pool for the Bull Sharks, which began when baby sharks Mikayla Bird and Ainsley Trotter combined for a total of 10 medals at the Australian Age Swimming Championships. 

At the Age Championships Bird and Trotter went head-to- head in the 100m freestyle with Trotter clinching gold with a time of 55.90 and Bird just off her back to claim silver with a time of 56.32.  

Mikayla Bird
Mikayla Bird credit Swimming Australia and Bec Ohlwein 

Trotter also took home gold in the 50m freestyle, as well as the 50m backstroke event which has just been added to the swimming program for the 2028 LA Olympics. 

Bird has also secured her fair share of wins in the 400m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly. 

Bond Director of swimming, Kyle Samuelson said the duo were unbelievably consistent throughout the meet.  

“It’s been a breakthrough meet for both the girls,” Samuelson said. 

“Usually by the end of the week everyone starts to get fairly tired, it takes a lot of energy to get up and race at that high level so it’s great to see them backing up and continuing to medal throughout the week.” 

The meet has also been selection for the Australian world juniors’ team which will take place in Romania in August. 

“They have both been strong age group swimmers over the years, but it has been really good to see them step up especially when there’s team selection on the line,” Samuelson said.  

“They’re both swimming qualifying times for the world junior team so fingers crossed they get picked for that."

On the opening night of the Australian Open Champiosnhips, Bachelor of Business student Winnington took home gold in his signature event the 400m freestyle, the same event which he placed second in at last year’s Paris Olympics. 

On Tuesday night the 2025 Hancock Prospecting Swimming Excellence Scholarship recipient Giuliani backed it up hitting the wall first with a time of 1:47.03 in the Men’s 200m freestyle. 

The shiver of Bull Sharks added a handful of silver and bronze to add to Bond’s glittering trophy cabinet with Bachelor of Biomedical student and Hancock Prospecting Swimming Excellence Scholarship, Joshua Collet clinching silver in the Men’s 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:12.56 just 0.66 off first place’s Bailey Lello. 

Bachelor of Business student Mia O’leary hit the wall first in the 50m breaststroke with a time of 31.23 ahead Bond law student Tilly King who finished third.  

Hancock Prospecting Swimming Excellence Scholarship holder, Jesse Coleman finished third in Wednesday night’s 100m butterfly event.  

In Thursday morning’s heats Flynn Southam qualified fastest for the Men’s 100m freestyle final.  

 


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