Exciting Breakthrough: 13-Year-Old Grayson Coulter Shines with a Stunning 1:52.13 in the 200m Freestyle
The 2025 Queensland Championships, taking place from Saturday, December 13th to Friday, December 19th at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre, has been nothing short of a thrilling display of emerging talent in Oceania. As we approach the final day of competition, numerous records have already fallen, and the excitement is palpable.
On the sixth day of these championships, young swimmer Grayson Coulter, just 13 years old, delivered an electrifying performance. After wowing the audience the previous evening with his impressive run in the boys’ 400m freestyle, where he clocked a remarkable time, Coulter returned to the pool and dominated the 50m butterfly event. He achieved a stunning time of 26.17 seconds, winning by more than a second over his closest competitors. Paloch Naksang from Commercial finished second with a time of 27.26 seconds, while Hunter Bastow from Chandler secured the bronze medal at 27.62 seconds.
Coulter’s swift swim not only earned him the gold but also broke the Queensland All Comers Record of 26.23 seconds, which had been set by Japan’s Ikeda Eishin two years prior. This incredible feat shattered Coulter's own personal best of 26.58 seconds achieved during the New Zealand Age Championships held in May.
But that wasn’t all for Coulter on this exciting evening! He also competed in the 200m freestyle, where he dazzled with a lifetime-best performance of 1:52.13. This new time eclipsed his previous best of 1:53.67, which he recorded at the same New Zealand Age Championships.
Coulter's dominant victory in the 200m was clear, as he left his nearest rival, Elijah Strahan, far behind, with Strahan finishing in 2:03.78—over ten seconds later. Hugo Wheeler completed the podium in 2:04.58.
Remarkably, Coulter’s time of 1:52.13 not only set a new record but also surpassed the former Australian All Comers Record of 1:54.86, which was established by Thomas Hauck in 2016. All Comers Records denote the fastest times recorded by swimmers from any nation while competing on Australian soil.
To provide some insight into his performance, here are Coulter’s splits:
- 26.24
- 54.47 (28.23)
- 1:23.56 (29.09)
- 1:52.13 (28.57)
In context, this impressive time places Coulter among the elite, ranking him as the third-fastest 13-14-year-old boy in American history. Notably, Luka Mijatovic holds the American National Age Group record at 1:49.63, while Thomas Heilman achieved a time of 1:51.27 in the same age category.
Meanwhile, in the boys’ 1500m freestyle, Lincoln Wearing from Chandler stole the spotlight with an outstanding performance. Following his earlier achievement of setting a new Australian age record of 7:56.80 in the 800m freestyle, Wearing swam to a new personal best of 15:18.98 in the longer distance, breaking his previous record of 15:26.14 set at the Australian Age Championships last April. His time also broke the longstanding Queensland All Comers Record that Jordan Harrison had established 14 years ago.
Additionally, 16-year-old Leny Grigor of Somerset made waves by setting a new Queensland All Comers Record in the 200m Individual Medley for his age group, finishing in 2:02.70 and narrowly surpassing Thomas Hauck's record of 2:02.71 from 2019. Daniel Van Luik from Nudgee College secured silver in 2:06.50, while New Zealand's Roman Anderson took home the bronze in 2:10.48.
More Highlights from Day Six:
- Ben Armbruster clinched the men’s 50m butterfly title with a strong time of 23.40 seconds, finishing ahead of South Korean swimmers Ji Yuchan (23.76 seconds) and Yang Jaehoon (24.01 seconds). Armbruster's current personal best stands at 23.00 seconds from earlier this summer.
- In the women’s 18-year-old 50m butterfly event, Jaclyn Barclay from St. Peters Western claimed gold with a time of 27.59 seconds, while the open category saw 21-year-old Chloe Rowe-Hagans shine with an impressive 26.27 seconds—crushing her previous best of 26.97 seconds. Following her were Japan's Ai Soma at 26.52 seconds and 19-year-old Mackenzie Burns, who secured bronze with a time of 26.74 seconds.
- In another highlight, Maxwell Cunningham from Brisbane Grammar established a new Queensland Age Record in the 16-year-old boys’ 50m butterfly with a time of 24.39 seconds, earning him a spot among the top three performers in his age category of all time. He was joined by Connor Burgess, who swam a commendable time of 24.99 seconds, while Julian Angus from TSS Aquatic finished in 25.15 seconds for a third-place finish.
As the championships continue, it’s clear that the future of swimming in Oceania is bright, with young athletes like Coulter, Wearing, and their peers pushing the boundaries of what is possible. What do you think about these record-breaking performances? Do you believe these young swimmers can maintain this level of excellence as they grow? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
