Paris Olympians Kyle Lee and Moesha Johnson Secure Australian Open Water Doubles To Book World Championship Berths For Singapore
Paris Olympians Kyle Lee and Moesha Johnson have swum their way onto the Dolphins World Championship team after adding the 5km National titles to their 10km wins on the final day of the Australian Open Water Championships in Busselton.
The pair’s respective wins punched their tickets for the Singapore World Aquatics Championships to be held late July-August.
Only first place getters in thee 5km race earned automatic qualification with the remainder of the Dolphins team to be named pending results at the World Cup stop in Egypt next month.
For hometown local Bunbury hero Lee it was his third gold medal of the weekend after he spearheaded his North Shore, WA team to the gold in the 4×1.25km relay on Day Two – and his club (under the guidance of Head Coach Ian Mills) to the overall club pointscore.
LOCAL HERO: Kyle Lee surges to the front. Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
In a controlled race, Lee (53.33.6) made his move in the last lap to slip past Noosa’, QLD’s Thomas Raymond (53:34.90) and Melbourne Vicentre VIC’s Nic Sloman (53:38.40).
“To qualify for Singapore (Worlds) doesn’t feel quite real … and to now have that 5km spot is awesome. While it was great to have that break after the Olympics, and to reset, it’s also great to be back in the water,” Lee said.
The 22-year-old is studying a Bachelor of Commerce and hopes to finish his degree this year while juggling training and competition in Egypt and Singapore.
“I haven’t thought much beyond Singapore and there’s a few personal things to tick off but I am really enjoying being back at home, racing today in front of family and friends,” he said.
It was then over to his Paris teammate and Olympic silver medallist, Johnson (Griffith University, QLD) to match the effort and that’s just what she did.
In an all-the way win, the in-form 27-year-old Queenslander claimed a dominant championship win that followed her 10km win on Thursday.
Johnson flipped her race plan from her cagey 10km effort to take control of the race from the outset, dominating all four laps of the 5km, touching the finish board in 57:30.70 with her former training partner Maddie Gough (Miami, QLD) second (58:21.10) with dual Olympian Chelsea Gubecka (Chandler, QLD) and Jacqueline Davison-McGovern (St Peters Western, QLD) dead-heating for third (58:22.30).
NUMBER ONE: Moesha Johnson is the queen of Busselton Jetty after wrapping up the 5 and 10km National Open Water double. Moesha Johnson- Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries
Coaster Johnson will now return to her German training base to prepare for the World Cup in Egypt ahead of Australian Open (Pool) Championships in April where she will attempt to also qualify for the 1500m freestyle event.
“The main focus for the championships was to qualify for Singapore so I decided to put the pressure on early and it worked,” Johnson said.
“There’s a lot of competitions in the next few months, so that means a lot of preparation to fit. It’s really just about getting in the best prep that I can and getting as fit as I can because when you’re racing a program that’s really busy … you want to get fit to be able to back it up time and time again.
“I have never won an (individual) World Championship and international experience in open water is so important – the more you race it, the more you learn about your competitors, different strategies and race conditions. Getting amongst it is just so critical for this sport.
“Europeans are so passionate about distance sports, like cycling with the Tour de France for example. Being amongst that and their mindsets of endurance, plus getting to race my competitors in training and on the weekend has been invaluable. It’s given me so much confidence coming into these sorts of events now.”
Swimming Australia has revealed that more than 1000 swimmers competed over the four days of the Australian Open Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival, with near perfect conditions on the final day of racing with water temperature hovering around 24 degrees and Generation Next showcasing their talent.
With Dolphins new head coach Fernando Possenti looking on; age group swimmers Ella Reynolds, Chloe Brodrick, Eleanor Flowers, Amelie Smith, Madison Brand, Piper Cameron, Thomas Dreverman, Daniel Carter, Luke Higgs, Riley Meares and Hunter Mackenzie all impressed.
In multi-class events; S19 athlete Ky Millican (Goodlife, QLD) opened the year with a win in the men’s 14&over 5km and Amie Holwill (S19) winning the women’s multi-class 14&over.
For Sunshine Coast athlete Millican, he has started the year as he finished it. The 17-year-old claimed a National title at the Australian Short Course Championships in September.
Kyle Lee wins 2025 Aust 5km in Busselton Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
Moesha Johnson on her way to the 5km National title. Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
Nic Sloman 2nd 2025 National 5km Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
TOUCH AND GO IN BUSSELTON: Mackenzie Hunter (MLC) claims the 19 years 5k title in a blanket finish featuring runner-up Esther Davies and 18 years winner and runner-up Ella Reynolds (Noosa, QLD) and Chloe Brodrick (Cruiz, ACT) Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
Australian Open Water Championships, Busselton, WA, Day 4:
5km
MEN
Open
Kyle Lee (North Coast, WA) 53:33.60
Thomas Raymond (Noosa, QLD) 53:34.90
Nick Sloman (Melbourne Vicentre) 53:38.40
Kazushi Imafuku (Japan) 53:48.60
Adam Sudow (North Coast, WA) 53:52.40
*Adam Sudow awarded fourth-place as fourth Australian to touch
ALL THE MAYOR’S MEN: (L-R) Nic Sloman, Busselton Mayor Phil Cronin, Kyle Lee and Thomas Raymond. Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
19 Years
Xavier Collins (Westside Christ Church, WA) 56:37.50
Conor Hayes (Surrey Park, VIC) 58:29.50
Kristian Seidl (Westside Christ Church, WA) 58:32.40
Flynn Czaplinski (Westside Christ Church, WA) 58:35.60
18 Years
Thomas Dreverman (Westside Christ Church, WA) 56:36.50
Daniel Carter (The Hills, NSW) 56:36.50
George Abbot (Norwest, NSW) 56:40.40
Brady Bryant (Ginninderra, ACT) 58:21.20
Nathan Willams (Campbelltown, NSW) 58:21.20
17 Years
Luke Higgs (Warringah, NSW) 57:33:30
Cooper Reynolds (Noosa, QLD) 58:18.90
Aidan Mills (North Coast, WA) 58:19.50
Lachlan Evans (Churchie, QLD) 58:20.10
16 Years
Riley Meares (St Peters Western, QLD) 57:33.70
Thomas Blandford (Bunbury, WA) 59:23.80
Ashton Rodgers (Rocky City, QLD) 59:27.20
Jake Boyle (Engadine, NSW, ) 59:31.70
Riley Meares 16 Years 5km Champion. Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
14 Years & Over Multi-Class
Ky Millican S19 (Goodlife, QLD) 1:06:57.10
Ben Morrison S14 (Miami, QLD) 1:07:12.40
Daniel Rigby S9 (Knox Pymble, NSW) 1:11:29.10
Daniel Lill S14 (Campbelltown, NSW) 1:13:38.10
Ben Morrison Multi-Class 5km Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
WOMEN
Open
Moesha Johnson (Griffith Uni, QLD) 57:30.70
Maddie Gough (Miami, QLD) 58:21.10
Chelsea Gubecka (Chandler, QLD) 58:22.30
Jacqueline Davison-McGovern (St Peters Western, QLD) 58:22.30
Womens Open 5km Podium: (L-R) Chelsea Gubecka, Moesha Johnson, Madeleine Gough. Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
19 Years
Mackenzie Hunter (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 1:02:03.00
Esther Davies (Noosa, QLD) 1:02:03.20
Jazlyn Johnson (Emu Park, QLD) 1:04:55.10
Isabella Cox (St George), NSW) 1:05:13.10
Mackenzie Hunter 19 years 5km champion. Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
18 Years
Ella Reynolds (Noosa, QLD) 1:02:03.20
Chloe Brodrick (Cruiz, ACT) 1:02:03.20
Bianca Monaco (North Coast, WA) 1:02:13.80
Abbie Yourell (Alstonville, NSW) 1:05:12.70
17 Years
Eleanor Flowers (North Coast, WA) 1:02:44.00
Amelie Smith (Rocky City, QLD) 1:02:45.90
Rylee Smith (Sunshine Coast Grammar, QLD) 1:02:46.00
Charlotte Bowmer (Trinity Grammar, NSW) 1:02:52.10
16 Years
Madison Brand (Cheltenham, VIC) 1:02:55.30
Piper Cameron (Norwood, SA) 1:02:56.00
Ruby Carter (The Hills, NSW) 1:04:35.70
Regan Palfrey (Redlands, QLD) 1:05:56.30
14 Years and Over Multi-Class
Amie Holwill (S19) (Bunbury, WA) 1:05:03.40
Chloe Maxwell (S14) (Goodlife, VIC) 1:21:11.8
Club Point Score
North Coast Swim Club, WA t490)
Noosa, QLD (382)
Westside Christ Church Aquatic, WA (333)
St Peters Western, QLD (296)
Berry Rickards Trophy winners North Shore Swim Club. Photo Courtesy: Adam Crane/Salt Diaries (Swimming Australia)
Jacqueline Davison-McGovern swims for St Peters Western not Noosa.