Hold onto your swim caps, because the world of Australian swimming just got a whole lot more exciting! An 18-year-old phenom has just shattered expectations and etched his name into the record books. Ollie MoClair, a name you’ll want to remember, blazed through the 50-meter freestyle at the 2025/26 New South Wales Senior State Age Championships with a jaw-dropping time of 22.11 seconds. But here’s where it gets controversial—this ties him as the second-fastest 18-year-old in Australian history for this event. Is he the next big thing, or just a flash in the pan? Only time will tell.
The championships, held from December 13-19, 2025, at the iconic Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center, showcased some of the nation’s most promising talent. With live streams available at https://www.watchsport.com.au/event/69001cc7e5728ce79056679b and live results at https://liveresults.swimming.org.au/nsw/SeniorState25/, fans were treated to a front-row seat to the action.
MoClair’s performance places him alongside swimming legends in the all-time rankings for 18-year-old Australian boys in the 50-meter freestyle (long course). Here’s how the top 5 stacks up:
- James Roberts – 22.05 (2009)
- Luke Percy – 22.11 (2013)
- Ollie MoClair – 22.11 (2025)
- Kyle Chalmers – 22.23 (2017)
- Isaac Cooper – 22.25 (2022)
But MoClair wasn’t the only young star making waves. In the boys’ 16-year-old category, Ethan Haegabaert clocked an impressive 22.83 in the 50 free, securing the 8th spot all-time for his age group. And this is the part most people miss—his time is just half a second shy of Kyle Chalmers’ National Age Record. Could Haegabaert be the one to break it? Let’s not forget, he also anchored the 200 medley relay for Knox Pymble Swim Club with a split of 22.12, helping his team clinch victory in 1:42.19. His teammates, Lukas Dunn (backstroke, 26.48), Hudson Hegarty (breaststroke, 29.12), and Tristen Waugh (butterfly, 24.47), played their part in this thrilling win.
Meanwhile, MoClair wasn’t done either. He anchored Cranbrook’s 200 medley relay with a 22.30 split, securing second place in 1:43.80. On the women’s side, 19-year-old Olivia Wunsch, already an Olympic and World Championship gold medalist, dominated the 18 & over category with a time of 25.08 in the 50 free.
Here’s the million-dollar question: Are we witnessing the rise of the next generation of swimming greats, or is this just a fleeting moment of glory? Share your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear from you!
For more insights and updates, follow Braden Keith, the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of SwimSwam.com, who’s been at the forefront of swimming journalism since 2010. Dive into his full bio here and stay ahead of the wave!
