Paris Olympian Kyle Lee Nails Photo Finish To Claim Maiden 10km National Open Water Crown
Local WA Olympian Kyle Lee has out-touched defending champion Thomas Raymond in a frantic stroke-for-stroke shoot out to win his maiden 10km Australian Open Water Championship in Busselton.
The 23-year-old Lee and 22-year-old Queenslander Raymond produced a finish for the ages amidst a vocal local crowd looking down from the Busselton Jetty.
Lee (North Coast, WA) drew on his experience from last year’s World Championships to surge towards the finish banner, just ahead of Raymond (Noosa, QLD) – a result that could quite easily have been a dead-heat.
MEN’S 10K PODIUM: Nic Sloman, Kyle Lee and Thomas Raymond. Photo Courtesy Swimming Australia
Four-time champion, Raymond’s former Noosa club mate and Paris Olympian Nick Sloman (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) finished third.
Making their way through eight laps of the 1.25km course, Lee (1hr:50mins:34.34secs) proved to have the Midas touch yet again to finish over the top of Raymond (1:50.34.39 ) with Sloman finishing third (1:50.57.39).
Inside the last 15 metres it looked like the white cap of Raymond was narrowly in front, before Lee, wearing a green cap and with the look on the Sunshine Coster, found that little bit extra.
“It feels awesome, it was a pretty tough race. We had Nick (Sloman) and Tommy (Raymond) set a really strong pace, so I didn’t know if I would get it, it came right down to finish and I’m very happy that I was be able to just get the touch in,” Lee said.
“I try not to have too strict of a strategy going in. You don’t know what everyone else is going to do, so usually I try to just develop it as the race goes on. We did have really good conditions and I was very happy today to be able to put my best foot forward and get as many points as possible for selection for Singapore World Champs.
“But Australia is so deep in the open water space and, as great as the win today is, it doesn’t guarantee me a spot. I’ll be hoping to go to Egypt and do the best that I can there.”
Lee is the master of the sprint finish, securing a nail-biting win for Australia in last year’s World Championship 4x1500m relay in Doha – the powerhouse local boy launched himself onto the international stage.
His golden touch (by just 0.20 over Italy’s Domenico Acerenza) winning Australia the world 4x1500m title in a classic elbow-to-elbow scrap – an event now destined for the Olympic program in 2028 or 2032.
It gave Australia its first ever World Championship open water mixed relay gold (since 1998 when it was over 5km and 2022 with the introduction of the 6km format) and only its fourth official open water gold since its first FINA World Championships in Perth in 1991.
FINISHING TOUCH: Moesha Johnson a clear winner in the women’s 10k. Photo Courtesy Swimming Australia.
In the women’s 10km it was Queensland’s Paris silver medallist Moesha Johnson (Griffith University, QLD) who won the battle of the Olympians from her Australian team mate and five-time champion Chelsea Gubecka (Chandler, QLD) and Italy’s 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Ginevra Taddeucci.
Johnson clocking 1:57.34.40, Gubecka (1:58.07.20) and Taddeucci (1:58.10.20).
After her win Johnson said: “I haven’t had a chance to have a crack at the Australian title for a while now, not since 2022. So it was really special to be able to claim that title again. A part of my success today was driven by momentum off the back end of last season … but I was stressed today.”
“Singapore (World Championships) is 100 per cent a goal of mine and … I’ve got the momentum to hopefully win gold but Singapore will be a really challenging World Championships should I get selected. The water is extremely hot and it’s a very busy schedule, so much can happen between now and then.
“And with the 5km in a couple of days, that’s another opportunity I have to win an Australian title. The 5km title is one that I would really like.
“It’s the first opportunity we have had to qualify for both a 5km and 10km event and we’ve got such a great field now with Chelsea (Gubecka) who has won several medals at World Champs.
“But it’s just so special to be in Australia. I was like wow, Perth, it feels so far away sometimes but when you get here, every time, it’s just so magical. And to be here for the Australia Day weekend, I just don’t think there’s a more iconic location to be able to celebrate it.”
It was Johnson’s second National 10km title after claiming her first win in 2022, debuting in 2021 in sixth place behind 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Kareena Lee.
Today’s 10km National Championships were the first step for the Australians as they start their qualifying process to represent the Dolphins at this year’s World Aquatic Championships in Singapore in July.
FINAL WAVE: Ginevra Taddeucci, Chelsea Gubecka and Moesha Johnson. Photo Courtesy Swimming Australia.
Australian Open Water Championships, Busselton, WA
DAY ONE
10km
MEN
Kyle Lee (North Coast, WA) 1:50:34.34
Thomas Raymond (Noosa, QLD) 1:50:34.39
Nick Sloman (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 1:50:57.39
Dylan Murphy (Noosa, QLD) 1:51:05.34
WOMEN
Moesha Johnson (Griffith, QLD) 1:57:34.40
Chelsea Gubecka (Chandler, QLD) 1:58:07.20
Ginevra Taddeucci (Italy) 1:58:10.20
Tayla Martin (Carlile) 1:59:11.30
BOYS
19 yrs
Conor Hayes (Surrey Park, VIC) 1:59:07.58
Max Moylan (Cranbrook, NSW) 1:59:15.05
Daniel O’Donnell (Aquablitz, NSW) 2:00:56.53
Kristian Seidl (Westside Christchurch, WA) 2:01:20.41
18 yrs
Daniel Carter (The Hills, NSW) 1:56:11.50
Thomas Dreverman (South Shore, WA) 1:58:29.40
Nathan Williams (Campbelltown, NSW) 1:59:08.26
Samuel Zollner (South Shore, WA) 1:59:08.78
GIRLS
19yrs
Esther Davies (Noosa, QLD) 2:08:52.50
Mackenzie Hunter (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 2:09:09.80
Sienna Batzloff (Sunshine Coast Grammar, QLD) 2:12:43.80
Rosy Ryan (Moreton Bay, QLD) 2:13:14.20
18 yrs
Ella Reynolds (Noosa, QLD) 2:06:19.30
Chloe Brodrick (Cruiz, ACT) 2:06:23.20
Macy Beuzeville (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:06:28.30
Bianca Monaco (North Coast, WA) 2:09:03.05
7.5km
BOYS
17yrs
Aidan Mills (North Coast, QLD) 1:29:24.20
Luke Higgs (Warringah, NSW) 1:29:56.40
Nicholas Macher (Revesby Workers, NSW) 1:30:12.90
Lachlan Evans (Churchie, QLD) 1:30:13.50
16 yrs
Riley Meares (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:28:11.70
Oliver Browne (North Coast, WA) 1:34:17.80
Lachlan Parker (Toowoomba Grammar, QLD) 1:34:49.70
Ashton Rodgers (Rocky City, QLD)) 1:36:34.20
Girls
17yrs
Elanor Flowers (North Coast, WA) 1:38.08.70
Amelie Smith (Rocky City), QLD 1:38.10.00
Rylee Smith (Sunshine Coast Grammar. QLD) 1:38.12.20
Holly Fleming (Chandler, QLD) 1:38.34.00
16 yrs
Isobel Mulcahy (Carlile, NSW) 1:38:17.40
Piper Cameron (Norwood, SA) 1:38:17.60
Ruby Carter (The Hills, NSW) 1:38:28.80
Madison Brand (Cheltenham, VIC) 1:38:33.60
Australian Open Water Championships, DAY 2:
5km
BOYS
14 Years
Kobi Mead (SLC Aquadot, NSW) 1:02:59.10
Ashton Bone (Gosford Stingrays, NSW) 1:03:37.30
Carter McGee (Cranbrook, NSW) 1:06:53.60
15 Years
Thomas Valassis (Revesby Workers), NSW 1:02:44.80
William Thorpe (St Peters Western, NSW) 1:02:44.80
Finn Kelly (Nepean, NSW) 1:04:28.50
GIRLS
14 Years
Mackenzie Wyeth (Rocky City, QLD) 1:06:57.90
Delinda Thompson (Nepean, NSW) 1:08:22.40
Lexi Mulcahy (Carlile, NSW) 1:08:22.80
15 Years
Olivia Galea (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:05:39.00
Neela Carrel (Noosa, QLD) 1:07:56.40
Sutton Miller (Unley, SA) 1:08:33.80
MIXED
4 x1.25km Relay
Japan (Misa Okuzono, Kiyomi Tani, Ryo Nakamitsu, Kazushi Imafuku) 1:01:04.22
North Coast,WA (Rosie Wilson, Bianca Monaco, Adam Sudlow, Kyle Lee) 1:01:43.30
Noosa, QLD (Ella Reynolds, Nolan Carrel, Esther Davies, Kilian Carrel) 1:02:10.40 –
St Peters Western, QLD (Riley Meares, Callum Boyle, Macy Beuzeville, Jacqueline Davison-McGovern) 1:02:47.70