World Series 2026: Australia sets early tone at season opener on the Gold Coast

The 2026 international season opened in style at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, as the Para Swimming World Series Australia 2026 took place from 20 to 22 February. 

The first of nine meetings on the 2026 World Series calendar brought together top Para swimmers from across the globe, delivering a weekend of competitive racing and early indicators for the season.

Australia set the pace from the start, claiming 14 of the 23 gold medals at stake, more than half of the titles available, and establishing early dominance in the medal table. The Dolphin’s success came from a combination of sprint and distance events across multiple classifications, rather than relying on a single star performance.

The full results from the Para Swimming World Series Australia 2026 can be found here.

🏊‍♂️ Let the 2026 season begin!

Bring on Australia 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/RsIAGS6RqQ

— Para Swimming (@Para_swimming) February 19, 2026

Brightest Dolphins

Among the host nation’s strongest performers, Jasmine Greenwood (S10/SM10) claimed two golds in the women’s 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle, alongside a silver medal in the 200m medley.

Paralympic champions Timothy Hodge, Rowan Crothers, Benjamin Hance, Lakeisha Patterson, and Keira Stephens contributed to the Australian medals haul by adding a gold each.

Hodge (SM9) won the 200m medley, finished second in the 100m butterfly, and third in the 100m breaststroke event; Crothers (S10) was the winner in the 50m freestyle and second in the 50m butterfly; and Hance (S14) grabbed gold in the 100m backstroke and silver in the 200m freestyle.

Patterson (S9) and Stephens (SB9) claimed gold in the women’s 100m freestyle and 100m breaststroke events, respectively.

LA28 preparation

Swimming in outdoor pool after a while also worked as a start for the Patterson’s preparation aiming the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

“By my face, I’ve got quite a panda cap and goggle tan, but apart from that, it’s been a really fast swimming and really exciting. This year, I’m really looking forward to just enjoying swimming, doing things a little bit differently, competing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and obviously the major one, our Para Pan Pacific Championships. We haven’t had one since 2018, so I’m really excited to be able to compete in that”, said Patterson.

The male gold medal-winning performers for Australia were Jack Ireland (S14) in the 200m freestyle, Jake Michel (SB14) in the 100m breaststroke, Riley Moore (SB9) in the 50m breaststroke, and Alex Saffy (S10) in the 100m butterfly.

From the female performances, Madeleine McTernan (S14) secured gold in the 100m backstroke, Stephanie Bruzzese (SM14) was the winner in the 200m medley, and Kael Thompson (S14). 

Day 2 ✅

Another solid session of racing in Gold Coast with strong performances and plenty of international talent on show at the Para Swimming World Series Australia 2026.

Here’s a photo recap of the key moments from today in Australia 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/TRCUCGXNoX

— Para Swimming (@Para_swimming) February 21, 2026

Canada’s strength

Canada finished second in the medals table with six golds and demonstrated strong international competitiveness, also led by Paralympic champions Nicholas Bennett, Tess Routliffe, and Aurelie Rivard. 

Bennett (S14) won two golds in the men’s 100m and 400m freestyle and silver in the 100m breaststroke; Routliffe (SB7) was the winner in the 50m breaststroke and silver in the 100m breaststroke; and Rivard (S10) claimed the yellow metal in the women’s 200m freestyle and finished second in the 400m freestyle. 

The other two Canadian golds came from Nicolas Turbide (S12) in the men’s 50m backstroke and Fernando Lu (S10) in the men’s 50m butterfly (S10).

Nineteen-year-old Lu, who also collected two bronze medals in the 50m freestyle and breaststroke races, highlighted the competition as a good start for his promising season.

“Gold Coast has really been fun, it’s been nice weather, nice venue, and I’ve got a good reverse raccoon look going up here. I’m really excited for the season. It’s going to be my first Pan Pacs (Pan Pacific Masters Games) and Commonwealth Games, if I’m able to qualify and hopefully, I can medal down there Glasgow and see what I can do down in Pan Pacs,” he said.

France, Japan and Austria also had one gold medallist each. Agathe Pauli (S9) topped the women’s 400m freestyle and added two silvers in the 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly; Tomomi Ishiura (S11) won in the women’s 50m backstroke (S11); and Andreas Ernhofer (SM4) secured gold in the men’s 150m medley and silver in the 50m backstroke. 

Other nations on the podium included Mexico, Hungary and Russia, who claimed silver and bronze in single events.

It’s only the beginning

With the Para Swimming World Series Australia 2026 complete, the World Series 2026 now moves to a busy month once the competition lands in two different countries in March.

Four-day meetings will be held first in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy from 12 to 15 March and, a week later, in Barcelona, Spain from 19 to 22 March.

Check out the full 2026 calendar here.