Australian Trials, Day 2 Finals: Tears Of Joy From Country Teen Sienna Toohey In World Championship Swim
Country teen Sienna Toohey, a shy 16-year-old from the NSW regional town of Albury, where the local pool closes its doors for winter, has gate-crashed her way onto the Australian Dolphins World Championship Swim Team in Adelaide tonight.
TEENAGE TEARS: OF JOY: Sienna Toohey overcome with motion after winning the 100m breaststroke at the Australian Trials. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr Swimming Australia
The reigning Australian Age champion, who has erased Leisel Jones’ records in a glittering age group career, led from start to finish to win the women’s 100m breaststroke final in her personal best time of 1:06.55.
Under the Swimming Australia qualifying time of 1:06.87; the eighth fastest time by an Australian jumping from 22nd to 14th on the 2025 world rankings in one swim – swimming half-a-second faster than her previous best of 1:07.04.
Getting out after it, splitting 31.18, and powering home with a grit determination to touch the wall ahead of Paris Olympian Ella Ramsay (Griffith University, QLD) who also swam a qualifying time of 1:06.86 – a personal best and the 10th fastest time by an Australian. Sienna Harben, who trains with Ramsay under Mel Marshall finished third in a personal best of 1:07.02.
Toohey climbed out of the pool and then broke down with tears of joy as she was comforted by four-time Olympian and Australian great Cate Campbell on pool the deck for her post-race interview.
Muttering “I’m just so happy” as she covered her face with her hands, looking towards the grandstand and her mother Simone and family – knowing the sacrifices they had all made.
And revealing she and her coach Wayne Gould had to move from her hometown Albury to the Nation’s capital Canberra (350km away) for six weeks to prepare for the Trials. Gould has worked closely with Olympic gold medal coach Shannon Rollason with two years of planning and support from Swimming NSW and Swimming Australia working together – with Gould working alongside Rollason and utilising his technical expertise.
SURGING TO SINGAPORE: Sienna Toohey’s powerhouse stroke that won her a place on the Dolphins World Championship Team. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr Swimming Australia
Toohey letting her emotions out on Channel Nine on prime-time National television, saying: “I’ve worked so hard, I was really nervous and I’m just so happy that I’ve done it now.
“I’ve been training In Canberra for the last six weeks as my club has taken a break over the Winter, so it’s been very hard having to live in Canberra.
“Coming out here tonight I just knew that I wanted to get it, because I’ve made a lot of sacrifices with my family.
“This definitely means a lot, I know that my mother misses me so much, my family has given up so much for me be able to do this.”
“I know that everyone in Albury supports me, all the little kids look up to me so much, so to be able to show them you can do it coming from a small country town, that doesn’t even have an indoor pool that I can train in during Winter, so I’m definitely very happy.”
WINNER ARE GRINNERS: Alex Perkins post her 50 fly win. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr
Meanwhile in other events, butterfly duo Alex Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) and Lily price (Rackley, QLD) continued on their merry way – adding the 50m butterfly quinella to their 1-2 finish in the 100m fly on night one – both swimming g well under the QT – Perkins improving her time from the morning when she broke Cate Campbell’s Australian All-Comers record with her 25.46 to 25.36 in the final – just o.05 outside Holly Barrett‘s 2019 Australian record of 25.31.
With Price also clocking her second personal best of the day, improving her heat swim of 25.99 to 25.64, making her the sixth fastest All-Time Australian.
Alex was told she had just clocked the second fastest 50m butterfly time by Australian woman in the history of the event, surpassing her pool deck interviewer Cate Campbell who’s now the third fastest.
“I’m sorry about that, ” she said to Campbell, “but it’s pretty cool, I’m really happy to swim faster than this morning, I couldn’t be happier.
“It’s so good to be using night time speed, it’s good being able to convert faster from heats to the finals. I felt like I nailed my race plan, and it was great that it all came together again”
And her thoughts on 50m butterfly’s inclusion for LA28?
“It’s good that we get another opportunity in another event, as I’m definitely not going to take up the 200m butterfly anytime soon. For me the focus is still really on the 100, but it’s always so much fun to get a hit out in the 50.”
SINGAPORE FREQUENT FLYERS: Lily Price all smiles and hugs Alex Perkins after 50 fly. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming g Australia).
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