
Eight swimmers from Whitsunday Swimming Club delivered an outstanding performance at the inaugural 2026 Queensland Country Championships, held in Rockhampton over the Australia Day long weekend.
Competing across three days of racing in hot conditions, the Whitsunday team went head-to-head with athletes from 42 clubs across Queensland, producing an impressive haul of personal bests, top 10 finishes and podium results.
Charlie was a standout performer, recording personal best times in all 10 events across the meet, including backing up PBs in finals. Charlie also secured bronze medals in both the 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke and finished inside the top 10 on three occasions.
Bella continued her strong form with a silver medal in the 50m butterfly and a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle, breaking the 29-second barrier. She also recorded four top 10 finishes and multiple personal bests throughout the championships.
George achieved remarkable consistency in the multiclass events, finishing third in six races: the 200m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m individual medley, and 50m backstroke.
Evie recorded two top 10 finishes and a personal best in the 100m breaststroke, while Hayden achieved one top 10 finish and personal bests in all swims. Leyton added another top 10 finish and recorded personal best times across the board.
Jayde produced one of the most impressive improvements of the meet, clocking a massive 7.69-second personal best in the 200m breaststroke. Isaac also enjoyed a breakthrough performance, recording personal bests in all events and breaking the 30-second mark in the 50-metre freestyle with a time of 29.57 seconds.
Coach Jenny was on deck to witness the swimmers shine, and the club continues to thank her for her coaching, support, and words of wisdom.
The 2026 Queensland Country Championships marked an extremely proud moment for the club and an excellent start to the new Queensland Country Championships era. If this meet is anything to go by, Whitsunday Swimming Club is in for an exciting 2026.
Next stop is the Queensland State Sprints in Brisbane, starting February 7.
Contributed with thanks to Amanda Yuskan
Smiles as swimmers celebrate. Photo supplied