The Bull Sharks have capped off a stunning 2024 with podium finishes for a rookie Dolphin and national records and personal bests for our World Aquatics swimmers at the World Short Course Championships in Hungary.
Milla Jansen celebrated her first senior international competition with the Australian Dolphins swim team with multiple medals at Budapest’s Duna Arena.
Jansen, who has been swimming at Bond since she was 12-years-old, turned 18 on the flight to Europe and celebrated in style by taking home silver alongside teammates Meg Harris, Lani Pallister and Alex Perkins in the 4X100m freestyle relay and bronze in the 4X200m freestyle relay with teammates Lizzy Dekkers, Leah Neale and Lani Pallister.
“I loved every minute of my first Dolphins team, the short course world championship team was the perfect first experience for me,” she said.
“To get to stand on the podium with girls I had always looked up to, made it even more special.
“I also made my first 100m freestyle final, it was pretty cool to race beside Olympic medallists from around the world.”
Alongside Jansen, were two other Bond Bull Sharks who competed with the Dolphins for the first time – Jesse Welsh and Hancock Prospecting Scholar, Joshua Collett who both finished with commendable results in the 200m freestyle and the 200m breaststroke respectively.
Bond’s seven World Aquatics swimmers, many of whom have only just arrived in Australia also had a successful meet finishing with a myriad of personal bests across the field.
Siwakhile Dlamini of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) who has only be training at Bond for three weeks broke the 100m freestyle Eswatini national record with a time on 1:04.39.
Finau Ohuafi beat his own Tongan national record in the 100m freestyle and set a new personal best in the 50m freestyle.
A pair of Paris Olympians also swam faster than ever before.
Lani Connolly, from the Cook Islands, continued her stunning development with personal best times in the 50m and 100m breaststroke while Cuban Andrea Becali set new marks in the 100m and 200m freestyle.
“We are proud of Bond’s presence at the World Short Course Championships,” said Bond’s Head of Swimming, Kyle Samuelson.
“The exposure that our young athletes have to world class swimming will help us shape the next block of training, looking towards the World Championships in Singapore next year.”
The World Short Course Championships marked the conclusion of the swimming year for 2024, Bull Sharks now look towards the World Championships which will be held in Singapore in mid-July next year.