Australian Champs, Day 2, Finals: Tara Kinder Conquers The Pain Barrier In 4:37.14 To Race Up The 400IM World Rankings
For Victoria’s breaststroking IMer Tara Kinder, 2025 will already be a year remembered as “simply the best” after continuing her painful climb up the world rankings in Brisbane last night.
Kinder continued her breakout year with a slashing victory in the 400m individual medley on night two of finals at the Australian Open Championships at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.
The 21-year-old from Melbourne Vicentre, who quit the sport for 18 months, is certainly back with a bang – producing yet another huge drop, clocking a world class time of 4:37.14 – a time that would have put her squarely in the mix in last year’s Olympic final.
Kinder admitting forthrightly after the race: “That was very painful…
“My coach Craig Jackson says it doesn’t matter how you swim the 400IM it’s always going to hurt..so I thought I may as well make it hurt as much as I could.”
But without pain there’s no gain right!
Kinder’s time was the sixth fastest in the world for 2025; the eighth fastest time ever by an Australian and remarkably almost a nine second improvement on her early season pb time of 4:46.02 swum to win her hometown State Championship in February.
On to the NSW State Championships last month in Sydney with Kinder claiming yet another title and another personal best drop, to 4:42.59.
LANES OF GAIN: Tara Kinder enjoying the gain after winning 400IM at the 2025 Australian Championships Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
But last night Kinder went up another gear, determined to take on the pain barrier, in another very impressive performance – and if it wasn’t for Kaylee McKeown’s 57.65 in the 100m backstroke – certainly the swim of the night.
Producing a breaststroke leg to die for – splitting 1:16.18 before steaming home with a 1:03.44 freestyle leg after setting up her latest pb with a 1:03.61 fly split and a 1:13.91 in the backstroke.
Zooming past fifth-placed Paris finalist Ella Ramsay (Griffith University, QLD) in the breaststroke after Ramsay who had charged out of the blocks with a fly opener of 1:01.41 – a pace she was always going to struggle to maintain and the breaststroke leg that saw Kinder take control and she was never headed.
Ramsay fought on bravely to finish second in the 400IM in 4:41.27 with her fellow Paris Olympian Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) hanging on for third in 4:45.70.
In fact, Kinder’s time was faster than Ramsay’s time swum in that Paris final at La Defense Arena.
ON THE FLY: Ella Ramsay on her way to the 200IM title at the 2025 Australian Open Champs. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
It was the Mel Marshall coached Ramsay who had already produced an impressive 200IM win on night one of these championships in 2:10.05 from Kinder (2:11.29) and who went on to win the 100m breaststroke later on night two in 1:07.80, again from Kinder (1:08.20) – in what has been a busy few days in the pool for the two breaststroking Imers.
And there is no rest for the pair who will go head-to-head again on Day Three (today) in the 200m breaststroke..with more pain and more gain on the menu as the Kinder and Ramsay set their sights on the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore in July.
Australian All-Time Top Ten
400 Metres Individual Medley:
World Record 4:24.38 Summer Mcintosh
4:28.22 Kaylee McKeown (2024)
4:29.45 Stephanie Rice (2008)
4:32.30 Jenna Forrester (2023)
4:35.26 Blair Evans 1991 (2016)
4:36.35 Keryn McMaster (2014)
4:36.56 Ella Ramsay (2024)
4:36.78 Kiah Melverton (2022)
4:37.14 Tara Kinder (2025)
4:37.84 Samantha Hamill (2010)
4:38.13 Tessa Wallace (2015)
4:38.62 Jennifer Reilly (2010)
FULL RESULTS: 2025 Australian Open Championships, Brisbane Aquatic Centre
Day One
MEN
FREESTYLE
200m
Max Giuliani (TSS Aquatic, QLD) :1:47.03
Ed Sommerville (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 1:47.87
Lewis Clareburt (NZ) 1:47.95
Thomas Ceccon (ITA) 1:47.97
Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:48.18
JOB DONE: Max Giuliani gets the job done in Brisbane after a month long stint of altitude training and racing in the US. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
400m
Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) 3:45.97
Benjamin Goedemans (St Peters Western, QLD) 3:47.03
Matthew Galea (SOPAC, NSW) 3:51.42
1500m
Benjamin Goedemans (St Peters Western, QLD) 14:57.75
Thomas Raymond (Noosa, QLD) 15:17.74
Matthew Galea (SOPAC, NSW) 15:20.31
WHAT A RELIEF – SUB 15 Mins: Benjamin Goedemans celebrates his first time under 15 minutes for 1500m freestyle. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Multi-Class
100m
Rowan Crothers (Marion, SA) 52.13
Nicholas Layton (Caulfield, VIC) 52.97
Alexander Tuckfield (Aquablitz Toongabbie, NSW) 53.59
MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: Rowan Crothers celebrates his 7th Australian Para title in the 100m free. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
200m
Jack Ireland (University of QLD) 1:55.10
Declan Budd (Knox Pymble, NSW) 1:56.40
Samuel Gould (Runaway Bay, QLD) 2:02.70
400m
Harrison Vig (University of QLD) 4:25.53
Dniel Rigby (Knox Pymble, NSW) 4:42.52
Hamish Keenan (Propulsion, VIC) 4:50.83
BACKSTROKE
50m
Isaac Cooper (St Andrews, QLD) 24.80
Enoch Robb (Griffith University, QLD) 25.39
Kalani Ireland (Somerville House, QLD) 25.56
RINGS OF CONFIDENCE: World champion Isaac Cooper all smiles after his 50m backstroker win – a new event added to the LA28 program. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
200m
Thomas Ceccon (ITA) 1:55.71
Josh Edwards-Smith (Griffith University, QL:D) 1:58.23
Kane Follows (NZ) 1:58.96
Multi-Class
100m
Timothy Hodge (Blacktown, NSW) 1:03.58
Declan Budd (Knox Pymble, NSW) 1:01.40
Jesse Aungels (Cruiz, ACT) 1:10.26
BREASTSTROKE
100m
Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 1:00.46
Bailey Lello (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:00.66
Joshua Yong (UWA West Coast, WA) 1:01.15
200m
Bailey Lello (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:11.90
Joshua Collett (Bond, QLD) 2:12.56
William Petric (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:14.14
Multi-Class
50m
Jake Michel (Carina Leagues, QLD) 29.58
Joshua Willmer (NZ) 33.85
Beau Matthews (Aquablitz Toongabbie, NSW) 32.03
Butterfly
50m
Cameron McEvoy (Somerville House, QLD) 23.18
Isaac Cooper (St Andrews, QLD) 23.63
Matthew Temple (Marion, SA) 23.76
Multi-Class
50m
Dylan Logan (Albany Creek, QLD) 27.09
Col Pearse (Nunawading, VIC) 26.76
Lewis Bishop (Rackley, QLD) 28.88
WOMEN
FREESTYLE
50m freestyle
Meg Harris (Rackley, QLD) 24.57
Alex Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 25.00
Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 25.01
ROARING MEG: Meg Harris celebrates her 50 free win with Shayna Jack. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr ((Swimming Australia)
100m
Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 53.12
Meg Harris (Rackley, QLD) 54.03
Alex Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 54.21
800m
Lani Pallister (St Peters Western, QLD) 8:18.71
Erika Fairweather (NZ) 8:23.19
Moesha Johnson (Miami, QLD) 8:25.42
Multi-Class
100m
Alexa Leary (Bond, QLD) 59.32 *
Chloe Osborn (Blacktown) 1:13.57
Kiera Stephens (Southport, QLD) 1:04.80
*Alex Leary set a new WR of 59.22 in the heats.
OMG WR MOMENT: For Alexa Leary. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
200m
Madeleine McTernan (TSS Aquatic, QLD) 2:14.14
Ikuha Nakahigashi (Japan) 2:15.26
Taylor Corry (Purruna, SA) 2:17.97
400m
Hannah Price (Cambelltown, NSW) 4:47.78
Sarah Howe (St Hildas, QLD) 4:57.52
Michelle Fawer (Engadine, NSW) 4:58.19
BACKSTROKE
100m
Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 57.65
Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 59,23
Hannah Fredericks (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:00.41
LA DREAMING: Kaylee McKeown has set her sights on Back-to-Back-to-Back in LA28.Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Multi-Class
100m
Jasmine Greenwood (Woden Valley, ACT) 1:10.83
Hannah Price (Campbelltown, NSW) 1:11.56
Madeleine McTernan (TSS Aquatic, QLD) 1:10.27
BREASTSTROKE
50m
Mia O’Leary (Griffith University, QLD) 31.23
Siena Harben (Bond, QLD) 31.27
Tilly King (Bond, QLD) 31.51
100m
Ella Ramsay (Griffith University, QLD) 1:07.80
Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 1:08.20
Siena Harben (Bond, QLD) 1:08.45
Multi Class
50m
Ruby Halliday (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 45.62
Kubo Minami (Japan) 35.33
Amelie Springett-Kelly (City of Sydney, NSW) 48.36
Savanah Maynier (Woy Woy, NSW) 39.72
BUTTERFLY
200m
Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 2:06.86
Abbey Connor (USC Spartans, QLD) 2:08.79
Jessica Cole (Wests Illawarra, NSW) 2:1.94
JUST THE BEST: SA’s Brittany Castelluzzo wins the 200m butterfly in a personal best time. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
50m Multi-Clsss
Taylor Corry (Purruna, SA) 31.23
Jasmine Fullgrabe (Marion, SA) 32.68
Savanah Maynier (Woy Woy, NSW) 35.49
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
200m
Ella Ramsay (Griffith University, QLD) 2:10.05
Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:11.29
Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 2:13.13
400m
Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 4:37.14
Ella Ramsay (Griffith University, QLD) 4:41.27
Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:4570
SIMPLY THE BEST: Tara Kinder the 400 IM winner in another personal bet time. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)