Two future stars of Australian swimming and potential medallists at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics announced themselves in barnstorming fashion on Tuesday night, with 17-year-olds Sienna Toohey and Henry Allan showing why the hype surrounding two country teenagers who grew up three hours apart is very real.
On night two of the Australian swimming trials for next month’s Commonwealth Games and the Pan Pacific Championships later this year in California, Toohey and Allan took out their respective women’s 100m breaststroke and men’s 100m backstroke finals at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
The pair were not alive to witness the magic of the Sydney 2000 Olympics in the same pool they raced in on Tuesday night – most of their teammates weren’t either – but they have only heightened excitement within swimming circles about their raw potential ahead of a home Olympics in six years.
Toohey’s open-mouthed reaction was priceless when she looked up at the board and realised she had slashed 0.46 seconds off her personal best to clock 1:05.97 and become the third-fastest Australian in history (all ages) behind Leisel Jones (1:05.09) and Sarah Katsoulis (1:05.86).
A greater focus on her turns recently has helped propel her towards times that are edging into medal territory at senior international level.
“I’m really happy with that,” Toohey said. “My legs were burning but I wasn’t going to give up.”
Allan, meanwhile, faces a nervous wait until Saturday before officially learning whether he has earned selection in his first Dolphins team. His time of 53.52 was outside Swimming Australia’s demanding qualifying standard of 52.57, but selectors are expected to take him to Glasgow at the very least as part of the men’s 4x100m medley relay squad.
The other option is Isaac Cooper, who took out the 50m backstroke but didn’t race the 100m event. However, Allan is a long-term prospect with an enormously bright future and the international experience will do him the world of good.
Young athletes from major cities can sometimes attract attention more quickly, but there have been whispers about both swimmers among astute judges for some time, given their country upbringings and commitment to driving long distances in pursuit of one day wearing a gold cap at an Olympic Games.
Toohey made her international debut as a 16-year-old at last year’s world championships in Singapore. At the preceding trials, she revealed her hometown of Albury on the NSW-Victoria border did not have an indoor swimming pool, forcing her to train outdoors, often in freezing conditions during the middle of winter.
Things have improved since. Toohey told reporters she moved to Canberra earlier this year with her mother and brother. However, she has not been home in the past 10 weeks and admitted being away from friends had been mighty difficult, but ultimately worthwhile on a night when she secured maiden Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships berths.
“I don’t have a lot of friends in Canberra, but that made it worth it,” said the year 11 student, who remains enrolled at Albury High School.
“My friends at school are the most beautiful group of friends I could have ever asked for. They often FaceTime me in the day … I know that I can leave for months on end and come back and they’ll treat me the exact same. It’s definitely hard being isolated.
“My teachers are very supportive of my sport. They do little booklets and packets for me and send them up with my dad when he comes to visit me. I’m doing school the same as everybody else, I’m just doing it from home.
“Being so young, I’m looking to the [2028] LA Olympics, so it’s just trying to get the most experience I can before then.”
If scientists were to build a backstroker in a laboratory, they may well have created Allan. The Bendigo teenager has grown 10 centimetres in the past year and now stands 203 centimetres tall.
His reach and physique are tailor-made for his events.
Allan was philosophical about his victory, which came after being held back from last year’s world championship trials despite contesting them as a 15-year-old the year before for experience.
There was a feeling among those around Allan that there was no need to rush the age-group star, who has been breaking Australian records for fun and driving to Melbourne for training sessions.
Allan only began swimming at age 13 when a neighbour invited him along to training one day.
He turns 18 later this month and will be 24 when the Brisbane Olympics arrive. There is plenty of work to do before then, but he is already showing that the hype is justified.
The Allan train is only just taking off.
“I’m not going to get too sad if I don’t get selected … I definitely [think I can make it] for the relay,” Allan said.
“Seeing Sienna make that team last year was just an eye-opener for me to see that people this young and people from country New South Wales and Victoria can jump into those team spots.”
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Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
