Written by Ian Hanson OAM
Kawana Waters World Championship representative Thomas Raymond (Kawana Waters) and emerging teenager Holly Fleming (Chandler) have dominated the 2026 Brisbane Open Water Championships on the Sunshine Coast.
Twenty-three-year-old Raymond unleashed a dominant race to win the Men’s 5km title – the event he finished 10th in at last year’s World Championships in Singapore and where he was also fifth in the inaugural 3km knockout.
Establishing himself s one of Australia’s outstanding open water talents – and now firmly entrenched on the world stage – a swimmer nurtured by legendary Noosa Coach John Rodgers and now under the expertise of Janelle Pallister at Kawana Waters.
Raymond covered the 5km open water course at the Oz Ski Resort, Coolum in 54 minutes 27.20 secs from Miami pair Dougal Richmond (54:53.70) and Kai Gilbert (57.11.70).
While 17-year-old Fleming delivered an impressive performance to win open and 17 years divisions – the only swimmer in the field to clock a sub-one-hour time of 59:15.90, with 18-year-old Macy Beuzeville (St Peters Western) next home in the open division in 1:00.05.50 and Sophie Jansen (Kawana Waters) third home in 1:00.06.60.
Age group winners were:
Female
13 years: Nellie Pocock (Sunshine Coast Grammar) 1:06:24.30 (13th overall)
14 Years: Sienna Teevan (St Peters Western) 1:07:14.80 (18th overall)
15 Years: Rose Purcell (Chandler) 1:05.04.50 (7th overall)
16 Years: Emerson Nunn (Miami) 1:05.04.20 (6th overall)
17 Years: Holly Fleming (Chandler) 59:15.90 (1st Overall)
18 Years: Macy Beuzeville (St Peters Western) 1:00.05.50 (2nd overall)
Open: Holly Fleming (Chandler) 59:15.90 (1st Overall)
Male
13 years: Luca Boersma (Miami) 1:01:33.30 (17th overall)
14 Years: Adam Fruscalzo (Sunshine Coast Grammar) 57:36.10 (8th overall)
15 Years: Bailey Ohlin (Kawana Waters) 57:48.10 (11th overall)
16 Years: Mackenzie Crocker (AB Patterson College) 57:40.80 (9th overall)
17 Years: Drew Eastwood (Brisbane Jets) 1:01.70 (18th overall)
18 Years: Kai Gilbert (Miami) 57:11.70 (3rd overall)
Open: Thomas Raymond (Kawana Waters) 54:27.20 (1st overall)