Elijah Winnington Shines with Gold as Australia Claims Three Medals at World Short Course Championships

Australia has enjoyed its most triumphant evening at the World Short Course Championships in Budapest to date, highlighted by Elijah Winnington‘s gold medal in the men’s 400m freestyle final.

Emerging star Lizzy Dekkers also secured a bronze in the women’s 200m butterfly final, before contributing to the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team, which finished in third place.

After clinching silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Winnington made a strong comeback, achieving a personal best of 3:35.89 to ascend to the top of the podium in the short course arena.

In a moment of triumph, Winnington perched himself on the lane rope and pointed to his head, signalling that he had vanquished his post-Olympic struggles after narrowly missing out on gold in the French capital.

In a flawlessly executed race, Winnington surged ahead during the penultimate lap, pulling away from American swimmers Carson Foster and Kieran Smith.

Post-race, Winnington shared that he wasn’t at his peak fitness and had contemplated withdrawing from the competition multiple times.

“In an Olympic year, it’s always quite challenging, and there were numerous moments when I considered pulling out,” he confessed.

“When I committed to [competing], I found myself breaking down [emotionally] with my fiancée and my parents, as I was in a really tough place. Just thinking about participating in another competition was daunting.”

“The Olympics demand so much from you, and I felt mentally exhausted, combined with the pressure of being an Olympic silver medallist, attracting additional scrutiny.”

“The gesture of pointing to my head [in celebration after the race] was meant to convey to myself and the world how much effort it took to compete here. My entire squad from St Peters isn’t with me, and my coach Dean [Boxall] has been absent from the pool.”

“It was a mental fight I wanted to share with my family and friends back home.”

The 24-year-old expressed his desire to overcome the pressures following the Olympics and to conclude his 2024 season on a strong note.

“Winning here means everything to me. This pool has a profound significance to me—it’s where I secured my first world title in 2022, and this is my first-ever short course world championship,” he remarked.

“I am aiming to make the most of my swimming career, which is why I chose to participate in this meet—I take great pride in representing Australia, and I know it won’t last forever.”

Dekkers concluded her session with two bronze medals to her name.

In a stunning display, Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh blitzed to a world record in the 200m butterfly, securing the title ahead of American Regan Smith and Dekkers, finishing in an impressive time of 2:02.91.

Making her relay debut, alongside teammates Leah Neale, Milla Jansen, and Lani Pallister, Dekkers found it difficult to decide which medal brought her greater joy.

“Finally standing behind the blocks to swim for everyone else, rather than just for myself, is an incredibly special feeling,” she noted afterwards.

Winnington’s gold medal represented the second for Australia, following Pallister’s win in the women’s 800m freestyle final the previous day.

Australia’s medal tally now stands at two golds, two silvers, and three bronzes, placing them third overall.