Australian Open 2024: Elijah Winnington and Sam Short Battle for the Gold in Men’s 400 Freestyle

The 2024 Australian Open Championships were marked by intense competition in the Men’s 400 Freestyle Final. Paul Biedermann’s World Record of 3:40.07 in 2009 and Ian Thorpa’s Australian Record of 3:40.08 in 2002 were the benchmarks for the swimmers. The Australian Olympic Qualifying Time (QT) was set at 3:45.43.

In a thrilling race, Elijah Winnington took the gold medal with a time of 3:41.41, just ahead of Sam Short who secured the silver with a time of 3:41.64. Kim Woomin claimed the bronze with a time of 3:45.12. Winnington and Short’s times were the fastest in the world this season, with Winnington leading by over a second.

The previous world record holder was Woomin Kim of South Korea, who recorded a time of 3:42.71 at the 2024 World Championships. Winnington’s impressive performance now places him in prime position for selection to the Paris Olympics team, which will be determined by the Australian Trials in June.

Sam Short, who won the gold medal at the 2023 World Championships, put up an impressive effort against Winnington and had his best performance since his World title win in that year. Both swimmers had strong showings and their rivalry promises an exciting showdown in future competitions as they continue to push themselves to new heights.