Sam Short Archives - Albany Creek News

Local Athletes Celebrated After Glasgow Commonwealth Games Medal Haul

Moreton Bay athletes have returned from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games with 14 medals between them after strong performances across swimming, para swimming, athletics and boxing. Harrison Turner, Sam Short, Kirralee Hayes and Jye Dixon were among those recognised following the Games, with the city’s seven representatives collecting 12 gold medals, one silver and one bronze.

Their performances drew attention to sporting programs across Brisbane’s north, including Nudgee College, Genesis Aquatics and All Star Boxing Academy in Brendale. The athletes followed different pathways to the international stage but returned from Glasgow as part of the same Moreton Bay contingent.

Success In The Pool

Turner returned with four gold medals and one silver after a Commonwealth Games campaign that continued a strong period in his swimming career. The 22-year-old represents Nudgee College under coach Shaun Crowe and secured his Glasgow place after winning the 200m butterfly at the 2026 Australian Swimming Trials.

*Photo Credit:* *Commonwealth Games Australia*/Instagram

His international results had already included bronze in the 200m butterfly at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, where he set an Australian record of 1:54.17. Glasgow added another five medals to a career that has developed rapidly since his senior Dolphins debut in 2024.

Glasgow 2026 — *Photo Credit:* *Commonwealth Games Australia*/Facebook

Short also finished Glasgow with four gold medals, winning the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events and contributing to Australia’s victory in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay. His Commonwealth Games results added to a record that already included a 400m freestyle world title and international medals across middle and long-distance freestyle events.

Hayes contributed another two medals, taking gold in the women’s 50m freestyle S13 and bronze in the 100m freestyle S13. The Brisbane-born para swimmer was a founding member of Genesis Aquatics at Genesis Christian College and continues to work with coach Rick Pendleton when she returns from her Australian Institute of Sport base in Canberra.

Her Glasgow campaign followed a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle S13 at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022. Hayes had earlier represented Australia at the Tokyo Paralympics after taking up competitive swimming at the age of 11.

Brendale Boxer Adds Gold

Dixon returned with gold in the 55kg boxing division after beginning his sporting journey at All Star Boxing Academy in Brendale when he was 12. The 21-year-old grew up in Brendale and has since collected eight Queensland titles and seven Australian titles, along with appearances at major international tournaments.

Commonwealth Games athletes — Photo Credit: CrCathTonks/Facebook

His recent progression has also included selection for a Tier 2 scholarship through the Sport Australia Hall of Fame’s 2026 Scholarship and Mentoring Program. Ms Cath Tonks said Dixon had received an Individual Achievement Grant and recognised him alongside Turner, Short, Hayes and para swimmer Lakeisha Patterson following their return from Glasgow.

City of Moreton Bay formally acknowledged its Commonwealth Games representatives at a council meeting after their return. Mr Peter Flannery described the athletes’ international performances as a source of pride for the city and recognised the work required to reach Commonwealth Games level.

The wider Moreton Bay contingent also included Patterson and athletics competitors Calab Law and Liam Adcock. Across the seven athletes, the city returned from Glasgow with 14 medals from swimming, para swimming, athletics and boxing.

Published 23-September-2026

Australian Dolphins Dominate Glasgow as Sam Short Wins Inaugural 800m Freestyle in Super Sweep

Photo Credit: Sam Short/ Instagram

Queensland powerhouse Sam Short has cemented his place in swimming history by leading the Australian Dolphins to a series of stunning podium sweeps at the Tollcross Swimming Centre in Glasgow.

Making Waves and Sweeping Podiums

The Australian swim team transformed the Scottish venue into their own community stronghold, fueled by a deep sense of mateship and an elite training programme. Short kicked off his golden run on Sunday morning Australian Eastern Standard Time, destroying the field in the 400m freestyle event by more than four seconds with a time of 3 minutes 41.25 seconds. Teammate Elijah Winnington secured silver after fighting off a severe case of food poisoning the previous night, while Ben Goedemans took bronze to complete the first sweep.

Following the 400m victory, Short explained that such dominant performances are rare and he wanted to mimic his childhood idols by celebrating with a muscle flex on the lane ropes. Winnington added that the sweep highlighted the deep history of Australian success in the 400m freestyle event, calling the team result incredibly special.

The 800m Masterclass

The domination continued later in the meet during the inaugural Commonwealth 800m freestyle. Short led from the very first lap, touching the wall in 7:39.81 to claim his third gold medal of the Games. His St Peters Western training partners quickly followed suit. Goedemans and Matt Galea surged past the Northern Irish Olympic champion in the final stages to secure silver and bronze. This marked the Dolphins’ fourth clean sweep of the meet, heavily influenced by the loud poolside encouragement of their Sydney-based coach Dean Boxall.

Courage Over Adversity

Beyond the clean sweeps, the Australian squad showed massive heart by overcoming severe physical hurdles. Sam Williamson provided one of the most emotional moments of the competition by winning the 100m breaststroke against the British world record holder. Only a year prior, Williamson ruptured his patella tendon in training and feared he would never walk again. Williamson shared that his recovery was the hardest mental challenge he had ever faced, adding that he often wanted to quit but kept pushing forward by remembering how much effort he had already invested in his career.

Mollie O’Callaghan mirrored this resilience in the women’s events. Despite dealing with painful stress fractures and bone bruising in her back, she controlled the 200m freestyle final to win gold ahead of fellow Australian Lani Pallister. O’Callaghan expressed that while dealing with an injury is difficult, athletes must find ways to adapt to the situation. She noted that the best part of the sport is bouncing back after a run of bad luck and seeing positive results from a modified training routine

Breaking Droughts and Chasing Records

The Games also provided breakthrough moments for long-serving team members. Alex Perkins shed her history of near-misses to win the 50m butterfly just two days before her 26th birthday. Perkins admitted that she never fully believed she could reach the top level and was simply absorbing the moment after finally claiming a major individual gold medal.

Meanwhile, the mixed freestyle relay team consisting of Flynn Southam, Kyle Chalmers, Shayna Jack, and Meg Harris clocked a time of 3:19.36 to set a new Games record. The victory gave Chalmers his ninth career Commonwealth Games gold medal. If he secures one more in the 100m freestyle, he will surpass Ian Thorpe as the most successful Australian male swimmer in the history of the competition. Adding to the overall medal tally, Paralympic silver medallist Jack Ireland proudly took home a silver in the 200m freestyle S14 final, cementing a fantastic opening haul for the entire Australian swimming community.

Published Date 28-July-2026

Albany Creek And Bray Park Swimmers Return To Commonwealth Stage

Albany Creek and Bray Park will both have a place in the Commonwealth Games pool this week, as Moreton Bay swimmers Sam Short and Kirralee Hayes return to race for Australia in Glasgow. Short is a former Albany Creek swimmer, while Hayes was a founding member of Genesis Aquatics at Genesis Christian College in Bray Park.

Short arrives with a crowded freestyle program and medals from some of international swimming’s largest competitions. Hayes returns after stepping away from competitive swimming for two years before rebuilding her place in the Australian team.

Short Takes Albany Creek Connection Into Four Events

Short will contest the men’s 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events, with a possible place in Australia’s 4x200m freestyle relay team.

The 22-year-old is competing at his second Commonwealth Games after winning the 1500m freestyle and taking silver in the 400m at Birmingham 2022.

His results since then include three medals at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka. Short won the 400m freestyle in 3 minutes 40.68 seconds, claimed silver in the 800m and finished third in the 1500m.

Sam Short — *Photo Credit:* *Commonwealth Games Australia*/Instagram

His 800m performance also broke the Australian record previously held by Grant Hackett.

Illness affected Short at his next two major international meets. He was recovering from gastroenteritis during the Paris Olympics, where he finished fourth in the 400m freestyle, ninth in the 800m heats and 13th in the 1500m heats.

At the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, he won silver in the 400m before withdrawing from the 800m final because of foodborne illness. He later returned to finish fourth in the 1500m final.

Short recorded 3 minutes 40.67 seconds in the 400m at the Australian trials for Glasgow, placing him close to Ian Thorpe’s Commonwealth record of 3 minutes 40.08 seconds from 2002.

The Glasgow program will also feature the men’s 800m freestyle for the first time.

Bray Park Program Remains Part Of Hayes’ Return

Hayes’ pathway began at Genesis Aquatics, where she was among the program’s founding members.

Vision-impaired since birth, the Brisbane-born swimmer took up competitive swimming at 11 and went on to represent Australia at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Her Commonwealth Games debut followed in Birmingham, where she earned her first international medal by placing third in the women’s 50m freestyle S13 in 28.24 seconds.

Kirralee Hayes — *Photo Credit: Commonwealth Games Australia*

Hayes stepped away from competitive swimming between 2023 and 2025 while dealing with challenges involving her mental health and identity. Her interest in returning developed during 2025, before contact from a former coach helped bring her back to the pool.

The 22-year-old now trains at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra under Yuriy Vdovychenko. She also continues to work with Genesis Aquatics coach Rick Pendleton when she returns to Brisbane.

Glasgow will bring an expanded program for Hayes. Along with returning to the 50m freestyle S13, she will contest the 100m freestyle S13.

When The Moreton Bay Swimmers Race

Hayes will begin with the women’s 100m freestyle S13 heats on Friday, July 24 from 7:30pm AEST. The final is scheduled for early Saturday, July 25.

Her 50m freestyle S13 heats will be held on Tuesday, July 28, followed by the final early on Wednesday, July 29.

Short’s first individual event will be the 400m freestyle, with heats on Saturday, July 25 and the final early the following morning.

The 800m heats and final will follow on July 27 and 28. His 200m and 1500m freestyle heats are both scheduled for Wednesday, July 29, with the finals to be held early on Thursday, July 30.

Published 20-July-2026

The Golden Hope of Albany Creek: Sam Short Eyes More World Championship Glory

Photo Credit: Paralympics Australia

Former Albany Creek student Sam Short is among five Moreton Bay swimmers preparing to carry Australia’s hopes at the upcoming World Championships in Singapore.

The global swimming event is set to take place from July 27 to August 3. Sam Short will join superstar Kaylee McKeown in spearheading Australia’s challenge on the world stage.

Moreton Bay’s Olympic Hope

Short, who lives in Bunya and previously attended school in Everton Hills, is aiming to defend his 400m freestyle world title won in Japan. He will also compete in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events.

His recent performances at the Australian trials in Adelaide were strong, securing victory in the 400m freestyle with a time of 3:41.03, the 800m in 7:40.95, and the 1500m in 14:52.43. To prepare for the championships, Short has been undertaking significant mileage in the pool and altitude training, hoping these efforts will pay off.

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

Sam Short, now 21 years old and with Rackley Swimming, has quickly established himself as one of Australia’s top middle and long-distance swimming talents over the past two years. He was a standout performer at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in July 2023. There, he made history by becoming the first Australian since Grant Hackett in 2005 to earn medals in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events at a single world championship.

In Fukuoka, Short impressively claimed gold in the 400m with a time of 3:40.68, coming within six-tenths of a second of breaking Ian Thorpe’s long-standing Australian record. This was the fourth-fastest time recorded in history at that point. He also secured a silver medal in the 800m and a bronze in the 1500m, moving up to second place in Australian rankings for the longest pool event, surpassing swimming greats Kieren Perkins and Mack Horton.

His international success began even earlier, helping Australia’s 4x200m freestyle relay team win a silver medal at the World Championships in Budapest in 2022. That same year, at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, he took home gold in the 1500m freestyle and silver in the 400m.

His coach, Damien Jones, has often remarked on Short’s immense dedication to training, noting that the young swimmer embraces every challenge with enthusiasm. Jones has expressed confidence that Short possesses the potential to break the 400m freestyle world record, currently held by Germany’s Paul Biedermann.

Beyond the Pool

Outside of his rigorous training schedule, Sam is pursuing a science and law degree. He also serves as an ambassador for Melanoma Institute Australia, a cause close to his heart after undergoing surgery for skin cancer on his back in 2022. Furthermore, following in the footsteps of his father Danny and uncle Stephen, Sam is an accomplished surf swimmer with the Maroochydore Surf Club.

Despite a challenging year in 2024, which included a fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics, a result he described as a “failure”, Short has dedicated himself to regaining his top form both mentally and physically. He credits his support system, including his parents and coaches, for his current resurgence and determination. His personal best in the 400m freestyle is remarkably close to the world record, and he, along with his Australian competitors, continues to push boundaries in the sport.

Published Date 25-Jun-2025

Sam Short from Rackley Swimming Club Makes a Splash, Secures Olympic Spot Despite Illness

Photo Credit: Sam Short/ Instagram

Sam Short, the 20-year-old Bunya swimming sensation from Rackley Swimming Club, has cemented his place on the Australian Olympic team for Paris, despite a recent battle with a gastric illness.

Short, who burst onto the international scene at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, showcased his middle- and long-distance prowess by claiming medals in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events. His gold medal in the 400m freestyle was particularly noteworthy, coming within a hair’s breadth of breaking Ian Thorpe’s long-standing Australian record.

But Short’s ambitions extend beyond personal bests and national records. He has his sights set on a showdown with Chinese swimmer Sun Yang, a three-time Olympic gold medalist who is eligible to return to competition after serving a four-year doping suspension. Short, who views Sun as a “villain” in the swimming world, is confident he can defeat the 32-year-old veteran in Paris.

From Rising Star to Olympic Hopeful

Short’s journey to the Olympics has been nothing short of remarkable. After narrowly missing the team for the Tokyo Olympics, he made his mark with a silver medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 2022 World Championships. He then continued his ascent at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, seizing gold in the 1500m and silver in the 400m.

Sun, on the other hand, has a long and controversial history in the sport. Despite his significant success, which includes numerous Olympic and world titles, doping allegations and suspensions have tarnished his career.

A Setback and a Strategic Decision

Despite his recent illness, which saw him lose a significant amount of weight and strength, Short secured his Olympic qualification by finishing second in both the 400m and 800m freestyle events at the Australian trials. However, he and his coach, Damien Jones, decided to withdraw from the 1500-metre freestyle to prioritise his health and recovery.

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The Road to Paris

Confident in Short’s abilities and preparation leading up to the illness, Jones is optimistic about his chances in Paris. He believes that the focus now shifts to ensuring Short is back to full health and peak performance for the Games.

Published Date 09-July-2024