Australian Swimming Championships 2025, day two: Alexa Leary breaks world record in heats and comes within a whisker in finals

Paralympic darling Alexa Leary shattered her own world record in the morning heats at the national swimming championships and then nearly bettered it in the finals.

Australia’s Paralympic darling Alexa Leary has again stolen the show at the national swimming championships in Brisbane, breaking her own world record in the heats then coming within a heartbeat of lowering it even further in the finals.

Dusting off the cobwebs in one of her first major competitions since she stunned the world in Paris last year, Leary blew her rivals away to stop the clock at 59.22 seconds in Tuesday’s morning heats.

World hold on she’s done it again!!

The first world record of the the Australian Open Championships was broken this morning - naturally with a big flex from Lex 💪

Alexa Leary smashed out a 59.22 to better her old mark (59.53) from her gold-medal swim in Paris in the women’s… pic.twitter.com/bxZW3KJKXl

— Australian Dolphins Swim Team (@DolphinsAUS) April 22, 2025

Her stunning time eclipsed the world record of 59.53 for the S9 classification, which she set in winning gold at the 2024 Paralympics in the French capital.

When she returned to the Brisbane Aquatic Centre for the evening finals, Leary successfully defended her Australian title in a sizzling time of 59.32, just missing her new world record but still going under her previous mark.

Leary was initially unaware that she had broken the record in the heats but was paying closer attention to the scoreboard after the final.

“Yeah, it was awesome. I loved every minute of it,” she told the Nine Network. “I was like, ‘come on Lex, let’s go.”

Asked by Matt Welsh whether she was feeling any pressure to break the world record again, she said she was hoping to go even faster and was confident of doing it in the future.

“I sure did and I was like feeling it when I was doing that one just the, I was like c’mon, c’mon,” she said.

“Oh yeah, I’m on to that, guys. Watch out, I am coming.”

Adored in Australia because of her uplifting tale of survival and zest for life, the 23-year-old shot to international stardom last year as one of the princesses of the Paris Paralympics.

Alexa Leary in the Womens Multi Class 100m Freestyle Final during the 2025 Australian Open Swimming Championships. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

While her swimming is awe-inspiring enough, it’s her unbridled joy at competing and winning that melted hearts around the globe and made her box-office gold.

Aussies always love a battler but Leary’s courage under fire is one of the most uplifting sporting stories of all time after she cheated death following a horrific cycling accident four years ago.

Her mum and dad were left to confront every parents’ worst nightmare – told to say goodbye to their daughter when she was in a coma in hospital after she had fractured her skull, scapula, ribs and leg and punctured a lung.

Alexa Leary celebrates winning the Womens Multi Class 100m Freestyle Final. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

She sustained permanent brain and leg injuries but has retained a positive and optimistic attitude that is infectious to anyone who sees or meets her.

In Paris last year, Leary won her first gold for Australia with a mind-blowing performance in the mixed relay that ranks alongside the best closing laps from Ian Thorpe and Cate Campbell.

Swimming the anchor leg, Leary dived in with the Aussies in fourth place, more than six seconds behind the Dutch, who picked a male to swim the closing freestyle leg and led by half a length, but she steamed past everyone to get her hands on the wall first then backed it by winning the individual title.

Originally published as Australian Swimming Championships 2025, day two: Alexa Leary breaks world record in heats and comes within a whisker in finals