2025 UniSport Nationals Swimming: A Championship of Speed and Strength

The Sydney Open will again play host to the 2025 UniSport Nationals Swimming Championship. Set to take place from 16 – 18 May 2025 at the iconic Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre and hosted by Swimming New South Wales (Swimming NSW). This premier event will include Australia’s best student-athletes going head-to-head across the men’s, women’s, and multi-class events.

“The partnership between UniSport Swimming Nationals and the Swimming NSW Sydney Open has been highly successful, and we’re excited to continue it in 2025,” said James Hickman, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of Swimming NSW.

“This event, held at the world-class Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, provides UniSport athletes with an elite competition environment to push themselves to their best performances. As a premier destination for students and home to strong university swim teams, we proudly welcome student-athletes from across Australia to compete and excel.”

Following a dominant performance in 2024, Bond University (Bond) will return as the defending champions in the men’s and women’s divisions, aiming for a historic four-peat after sweeping the overall title for three consecutive years. However, with rising talent and fierce competition from The University of Queensland (UQ), University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and other top contenders, the question remains, who will rise to challenge Bond?

Bond University’s Director of Swimming, Kyle Samuelson is confident the team will put forward a strong performance at Nationals Swimming as they aim to defend their overall, men’s, and women’s championship titles from 2024.

“The goal is certainly to retain the titles, and strong relays are also a priority for the team,” stated Samuelson, “among the swimmers we expect to shine, Josh Collett is coming off a strong back half of 2024 and will be a key contender in the breaststroke events. Meanwhile, Ben Armbruster, will return to competition after taking time out of the water following the Paris Olympics.”

A recap of the event proved that the Nationals Swimming continues to elevate year on year. Returning student-athlete Flynn Southam (Bond) shaved off 0.01 seconds from his 2023 record in the Men’s 100m Freestyle, setting a new event best of 48.97 seconds while Queensland University of Technology student-athlete, Rebecca Jacobson equalled the previous Women’s 200m Freestyle record of 1:59.55, originally set by Tamsin Cook (University of Western Australia) in 2021. Finally, powerhouse relay team from Bond set a new best of 1:30.57 in the Men’s 4x50m Freestyle, improving upon their own 2023 record.

In the multi-class front, student-athletes also delivered outstanding performances. Iesha Apthorpe from Charles Sturt University set multiple records, including the Women’s 200m Freestyle S19 (2:20.52), the Women’s 50m Freestyle S15 (28.56), and the Women’s 100m Freestyle S19 (1:02.70). While Timothy Hodge from Western Sydney University also set a remarkable time of 1:00.89 in the Men’s 100m Butterfly S9.

“Nationals Swimming continues to be a cornerstone event for university sport in Australia, showcasing the incredible talent, dedication, and the competitive spirit of our student-athletes,” Mark Sinderberry, UniSport Australia CEO added, “the partnership with Swimming NSW and the Sydney Open provides an exceptional platform for our athletes to perform at their best in an competitive environment. We are thrilled to return to the world-class Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre in 2025 and look forward to witnessing new records, inspiring performances, and the next generation of champions rise to the occasion.”

The 2025 edition promises fiercer competition with new and returning student-athletes setting high standards they strive to etch their names into Nationals Swimming record books. Get ready to witness history as the nation’s best student-athletes hit the pool, ignite rivalries, and create legends.

Whether you’re competing, cheering from the stands, or watching from afar, the 2025 UniSport Nationals Swimming Championship x Sydney Open promises non-stop action and unforgettable moments. Don’t miss out as this is where champions are made!

For media inquiries, please contact:

Damian Murphy

General Manager: Marketing & Communications

damian.murphy@unisport.com.au