Commonwealth Youth Games Australian teen swimmers to watch, Brisbane Olympic hopefuls

Australia has high hopes of medal success in some events and PB’s in others at the Commonwealth Youth Games. The young guns to watch and those expected to create waves.

Australia's young swimmers have big ambitions for success at the Games.

Australian Swimming knows better than most sports the importance of their young guns competing at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad & Tobago in August.

They have seen first hand a teenager launch herself onto the world stage from the event to be one of their brightest young stars.

Young gun Meg Harris won gold at the Youth Games in the 50m freestyle back in 2017 and has gone on to claim gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, Tokyo Olympics and most recently the world championships as part of a world record in the 400m freestyle relay.

“It provides the athletes with the opportunity of going to participate in a multi-sport international event and experience what it would be like at an Olympic or Commonwealth Games - eating at the same food halls, the pressures and distractions that come with that, the travel and dealing with those things,’’ said Gary Barclay, general manager of performance pathway at Swimming Australia

“Look at Meg Harris. She was a member of the 4x100m world record the other night. She won her first international gold medal at this event, it was her first taste of the experience of winning and that’s important.

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Meg Harris in the 100m Freestyle Relay Final on day one of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships.

“She won gold here and made a decision to represent Australia, won a senior team spot and made Tokyo, the Commonwealth Games and the world championships.’’

Barclay said Inez Miller and Sam Higgs are two youngsters expected to create waves at the event but there is an expectations every swimmer will produce better times than their qualifiers

Rising swimming star Sam Higgs.

“Inez Miller is in multiple events and went under world junior qualifying times in five events,’’ he said.

“She is very, very good, a swimmer of a standard that is world level.

“Sam Higgs in the 400 individual medley. He is one to watch. He is just tough.

“It’s a hard event and he’s good technically in all strokes, a really tough competitor.

“We also hope to have all our swimmers final.

“One of our goals as a sport is for swimmers to swim faster at the meet that they did to make the team.

“We want them to be able to perform on a big stage.’’

Meet all the young guns swimming for success in Trinidad Tobago below.

Australia's young swimmers have big ambitions for success at the Games.

Hannah Allen (Qld): From the Iona swimming club and competing in a mix of events - 400m Freestyle, 800m Freestyle, Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay and Mixed 4x200m Freestyle Relay. Has the experience of competing at an Australian age titles and world championship swim trial.

Hannah Allen of Ginninderra competing in the 100m Breaststroke during the NSW Junior Swimming State Age Championships last year.

Zoe Ammundsen (Qld): Also from the Iona club and slated to race the 50m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke and Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay. This triple national age champion in the 100m and 200m backstroke competed recently at world championship trials where she finished with a win in the 100m backstroke B 100m final and 7th in the 200m backstroke.

Jy Bennion (Qld): From the St Peters Western club and set to race the 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay, Mixed 4x200m Freestyle Relay and Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay. He has made finals and the podium at Age National Championships.

Mikayla Bird from Bond University training. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Mikayla Bird (Qld): From the Bond club and racing the 50m Butterfly, 100m Butterfly, 200m Butterfly, 200m Freestyle, Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay, Mixed 4x200m Freestyle Relay and Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay. Come into Trinbago 2023 with three gold and a silver from the National Age titles and a haul of three gold and a silver from the State Age championships.

Braden Fyneman (WA): From the UWA West Coast Swimming club and down to do the

50m Freestyle, 1500m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke and 200m Backstroke events. He is the reigning 1500m freestyle champion from the Age National Championships and has cracked the finals in this event on three previous occasions.

Young swimmers Sam Higgs and his brother Luke.

Sam Higgs (NSW): From the Warringah Aquatic Swim club on Sydney’s northern beaches, Higgs is also a surf life saver and is competing in the 50m Butterfly, 200m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley, 400m Individual Medley, Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay and Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay. He won four medals at the National Age Championships.

Tommy Lane (Vic): One of two Victorians on the team and racing the 100m Butterfly, 100m Freestyle, 1500m Freestyle, Mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay and Mixed 4x200m Freestyle Relay. He won gold in the 1500m at the recent Australian Age Nationals and gold in the 5km at the Open Water Nationals.

Tommy Lane, left, after contesting the View Swim Classic at Point Lonsdale.

Harvey Larke (Vic): From, the Melbourne Vicentre club and racing the 200m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 200m Individual Medley, Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay, Mixed 4x200m Freestyle Relay and Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay. He made the finals in every event contested at the Age Nationals with a 4th in the 400m free and 200m IM, 5th in the 800m and 1500m free, 6th in 400m individual medley and 7th in the 200m freestyle. He is also a winner of the junior title at the famous Pier to Pub at Lorne.

Clancy Luscombe (SA): The only South Australian in the swim team and from the Marion club. He will compete in the 50m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke, 200m Butterfly, 400m Individual Medley, Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay and Mixed 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay. Won a 200m backstroke silver and 400m individual medley and 200m butterfly bronze at Australian Age champs. He also made a B-Final World championship trials.

Lillie McPherson (NSW): From the Manly swimming club and racing the 50m Butterfly, 100m Butterfly, 100m Freestyle, 200m Individual Medley, Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay, Mixed 4x200m Freestyle Relay and Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay. Put in a big performance for five gold medals at the Age Nationals and also competed in the World championship trials. One to watch.

Lillie McPherson swimming at the NSW age championships.

Inez Miller (WA): From the St Hilda’s club she will swim the 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay, Mixed 4x200m Freestyle Relay and Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay. Expected to turn plenty of heads at Trinbago 2023.

Poppy Stephen (Qld): From the Nudgee Swim and doing the 50m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke, 200m Butterfly. A talented surf life saver, she won gold in the Pool Rescue 200m Obstacle Race.