The China Mail - O'Callaghan and Short clock history-making times at Australian trials

On day three of the Australian trials in Sydney, Cameron McEvoy powered to a lightening-quick 50m freestyle in his first race since smashing the 17-year-old world record this year.

The six-day event acts as qualifying for not just the Glasgow Commonwealth Games but also the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California in August.

Olympic champion O'Callaghan was under world record pace until the final 20 metres, hitting the wall in 1min 52.86 secs.

It was just outside retired teammate Ariarne Titmus's 1:52.23 world best, set in 2024 when she bettered O'Callaghan's previous record.

Asked if her regaining her world mark was within reach, 22-year-old O'Callaghan said: "One-hundred percent.

"The end game is to just keep improving, and especially for myself, I'm so young, and I think I've evolved very quickly in this 200.

"I will see if I can keep pushing the boundaries and do the impossible, which is the main goal."

The five-time Olympic gold medallist, who is also due to swim the 50m and 100m freestyle, now owns three of four fastest times ever swum over the distance.

Lani Pallister came second in an equally sizzling 1:53.65, a new personal best to tie with Canada's Summer McIntosh as the fifth fastest woman over 200m.

Pallister had already qualified for the 400m freestyle with a sub-four minute swim and is also scheduled to contest the 800m and 1500m.

Short powered home in 7:36.73, the fastest time since 2009 when China's Lin Zhang set the 7:32.12 world record in the "supersuit" era and Tunisia's Oussama Mellouli posted a 7:35.27.

"That hurt so much. But so good, only two other guys in front of me and they were in supersuits. Just going to keep improving," said Short.

McEvoy was in the pool for the first time since setting the sport alight at the China Open in March when he touched in 20.88 seconds to shatter Cesar Cielo's long-standing 50m world record.

Since then, Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev has clocked 20.81.

But it was at the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas where competitors were allowed to take performance-enhancing substances and wear banned supersuits and as such was not officially recognised.

McEvoy was not as quick in Sydney, hitting the wall in 21.32, but it was a comfortable win.

"I wasn't really expecting to go 20.8 in March, that was the goal for the Commonwealth Games," said McEvoy.

"So I hit that, went back to the drawing board and reset. The Commonwealth Games has always been the target."

Rising star Sienna Toohey, 17, backed up from taking out the 100m breaststroke on Tuesday to touch in 30.57 and win over 50m, Harrison Turner (1:55.18) eased home in the men's 200m butterfly and Sam Williamson (26.61) won the 50m breaststroke.

B.Chan--ThChM