Consider this for a formidable statistic.
If Bond University was a country, it would have been sitting around sixth on the overall Commonwealth Games medal tally when the Games swimming program wound up in Glasgow last week.
The extraordinary efforts of three swimmers – Hannah Casey (three gold), Ben Armbruster (two gold and a bronze) and Flynn Southam (four gold and a silver) – saw Bond Swimming finish its week’s work at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre above South Africa, well ahead of New Zealand, and snapping at the heels of Canada.
By any measure that’s a hell of a campaign for a medium-sized program operating out of a campus pool.
Director of Swimming at Bond, Kyle Samuelson, says while he’s extremely proud of his swimmers' achievements, he’s by no means shocked.
"Flynn has competed alongside and against Kyle Chalmers for some time now, developing his craft. We always believed his breakthrough would come," Samuelson said.
"To deliver such a dominant display in the 100m is an outstanding achievement.
"Flynn has been on the team for so long people forget how young he is. He has been incredibly patient and persistent with his development, and we are seeing the results."
Samuelson said he had seen Southam’s confidence building as he dialled up his preparation for the Games, finding a new level after the Australian trials in June.
Meanwhile Hannah Casey has graduated to the ranks of Australia’s best 200m freestylers.
"Hannah is a remarkably self-driven athlete," Samuelson said.
"She has complete trust in the program and stays focused on her process.
"Looking ahead to the 2028 Olympics, the focus is on establishing herself in individual events."
Samuelson praised Ben Armbruster as an “incredibly tough competitor".
"His performance at trials, where he edged Cam McEvoy and Kyle Chalmers in the 50m butterfly, gave him a significant confidence boost.
"When Benny is in the field, you know it will be a highly competitive race.
"His skills are world class, and he thrives in high-pressure environments."
Samuelson also paid tribute to Bond’s Swimming Head Coach, Chris Mooney.
“It's remarkable for one coach to manage three individual preparations leading into a competition,” he said.
"His experience makes a tremendous difference.
"Chris invests heavily in understanding each athlete and what they need to perform at their best.
"His attention to detail is outstanding, and our results in Glasgow reflect that."
Samuelson also said the incorporation of World Aquatics Scholars from nations including Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands, Eswatini, and Papua New Guinea is a positive point of difference for Bond’s flourishing swimming program.
"Integrating World Aquatics Scholars has definitely strengthened our program,” he said.
"Seeing Jacob Story reach the 200m breaststroke final and Lani Connolly reach semi-finals is just the start of something special we are building with this World Aquatics program.
"Training alongside athletes from different countries and cultures has strengthened our competitive environment.
"The international athletes love being here, and we love having them in the program."