Olympians Sam Short, Nick Sloman and Sam Williamson headline men’s 2025 Pier to Pub Superfish entries

Seven-time winner Sam Sheppard is eyeing an eighth Pier to Pub win in 2025 but is under no illusion his two biggest competitors in a strong men’s Superfish field on Saturday.

Five time Pier to Pub winner Hayden Cotter (left) will miss Saturday’s edition through illness, though seven-time winner Sam Sheppard is again among the entries. Picture: Alan Barber

Sam Sheppard has labelled Olympic swimmers Sam Short and Nick Sloman the ones to beat in today’s Pier to Pub but it hasn’t stopped the seven-time winner from sharing his vast knowledge.

With Short and Sloman both preparing for their first Pier to Pub, Sheppard, who grew up in Jan Juc, said he knew the 400m freestyler and open water 10km swimmer well and was more than happy to show them the ropes around the 1.2km course.

“I’m actually going out for a swim with those two boys this (Friday) afternoon,” Sheppard said.

“It’s all good fun, I’m just taking them through it, they’ve never swum the course before so we’ll walk down, jump off the pier and have a bit of fun before it’s all business tomorrow at 3-o’clock.

“Growing up on the Victorian surf coast, I love it down here so when you’ve got other swimmers coming, you want to show off the greatness of it.”

Seven-time winner Sam Sheppard earned a close second in the Superfish Lorne Pier to Pub in 2024. Picture: Alan Barber

Paris Olympian Sam Short will contest the 2025 Pier to Pub. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

It’s been 21 years since Sheppard competed in his first Pier to Pub as a 13-years-old and he’s since built an enviable resume, a record seven Superfish titles to his name as well as the men’s race record in 2016 following his three junior titles.

The past winner predicted Short and Sloman would be the ‘ones fighting it out for the win” but knew conditions could also play a role in the race.

“Who knows, hopefully a bit of a wave will be there,” Sheppard said.

“Off the weather, I think it’s meant to be a small south-easterly when we swim, so there will be a bit of chop which will play into the experienced swimmers and open water swimmers instead of the pool swimmers.

“The tide will be out … so it will be a nice long run up the beach which I think might make the difference whoever can run the quickest.

“I think those two boys (Short and Sloman) might be ahead but I think there’ll be a big pack for third behind.”

Making a racing return last year, the dad-of-one finished runner-up to five-time winner Hayden Cotter, who will miss today’s edition due to illness.

Sam Sheppard with daughter Ollie, 2, after winning the 2.km Danger 1000 swim in Torquay this month. Picture: Mark Wilson

Sheppard hoped to “pull something out of the bag” again this year.

“Little bit of a different lifestyle to past years, being a dad,” Sheppard said of two-year-old daughter Ollie.

“But hey, who knows I might surprise myself like last year where I ended up getting second off not a huge amount of swimming but I suppose experience.”

Firmly settled in the 30-39 age bracket now, Sheppard said he still enjoyed the chance to race against elite company in the Superfish category. And while he may have stiff competition from Short and Sloman for the outright win, there is another title firmly in Sheppard’s sights.

“Not only do I want to go well in the Superfish, I want to me the fastest dad on the day,” he said. “A little bit of bragging rights, I was last year and hopefully I can do the same this year.”

Earlier: Olympic trio strengthen Pier to Pub field, defending champ forced to miss

Illness has sidelined Hayden Cotter from going for a record sixth-consecutive Pier to Pub title, though three Paris Olympians’ inclusions are expected to make it one of the strongest men’s fields in iconic race’s history.

The 45th Powercor Lorne Pier to Pub swim will run on Saturday, with Olympic gold medallist Lani Pallister the hot favourite to bring home her sixth-straight Pier to Pub win in the women’s elite level Superfish from 2.45pm.

However in the men’s Superfish, Cotter, who has dominated the top of the podium with Pallister since 2018, will be missing in action, unable to fly down from Queensland due to illness though organisers are hopeful of his return in 2026.

400m freestyle world champion Sam Short, pictured in action at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will contest Saturday's Pier to Pub. Picture: Adam Head

Instead, Olympic swimmers Sam Short, a 400m freestyle world champion who finished fourth in the Olympic final in Paris this year, and Nick Sloman, who swam 11th in the 10km open water marathon, are expected to set the pace in 1.2km swim.

Sam Williamson, an Olympic 100m breaststroke swimmer, will also in the mix, though the trio will receive strong competition from seven-time winner and last year’s runner-up Sam Sheppard. Sheppard took out the 2010 and 2011 edition before winning five straight from 2013-17.

Nick Sloman is an Olympic open water swimmer. Picture: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Jesse Coulson will also be hoping to better his third-place finish from 2024, with Lorne local Harry Hay and Harvey Larke, a former junior winner, also expected to push the front of the pack.

“We’ve got a very competitive male superfish field this year, the strongest we’ve ever had we think in terms of depth and quality,” race director Peter Williamson said.

“It will be really interesting how many stay with Nick and Sam because they’re absolutely world class pool and open water swimmers and the guys behind them, on any other year would be looking at winning outright.

“Open water swimming, if there is a bit of surf anything can happen.

“I think it will be pretty interesting, it might come down to the way out of the water.”

This year edition will see 5300 entries contest several age categories starting from juniors through to heroes (80+).

In its third edition following two Covid-19 forced cancellations in 2021-22, it

The Pier to Pub has enjoyed a steady rise back to sellout, in what will be the third year since two Covid-19 forced cancellations.

“Last year we were close to the maximum, we had 5000 and this year we’ve hit 5300 (the maximum),” Williamson said.

“It’s fantastic, it just shows there is huge demand, we’re getting so many phone calls, if there is a cancellation, if there is a waitlist.”

The Pier to Pub will follow on from Friday’s sold out Powercor Lorne Mountain to Surf, with 2200 entries set to contest the 8km fun run including defending men’s and women’s champions Seb Asher and Sarah Klein.

• The women’s superfish race starts 2.45pm Saturday, with the men’s race to follow at 3pm.

Originally published as Olympians Sam Short, Nick Sloman and Sam Williamson headline men’s 2025 Pier to Pub Superfish entries