By Sean Griffin on SwimSwam
2025 AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Monday, April 21st – Thursday, April 24th
- Prelims at 10am local (8pm ET night before)/Finals at 6pm local (4am ET)
- Brisbane Aquatic Centre, Queensland, Australia
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview
- Initial Entries
- Start List
- Live Results
- Livestream
- Day 1 Prelims Recap
- Day 1 Finals Live Recap
On the first night of the 2025 Australian Open, Thomas Ceccon broke the Italian record in the 200 backstroke. He touched the wall 1st with a time of 1:55.71, surpassing Matteo Restivo’s previous mark of 1:56.29 set at the 2018 European Championships.
Ceccon’s previous best in the event was 1:56.49, notched at the Athens World Cup stop in October 2023.
He is currently training with Dean Boxall at St. Peters Western, where Boxall coaches Australian stars Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O’Callaghan, and Elijah Winnington, among others.
Ceccon is using this meet to qualify for the World Championships in Singapore, after receiving special permission to compete here instead of at last week’s Italian Nationals. The time required to automatically qualify for Team Italy’s roster in this event was 1:56.29, matching the previous Italian record, so it was no issue for the 24-year-old.
Speaking to Swimming Australia after the race, Ceccon said, “We will see what happens for the 100m but I am feeling refreshed. It’s completely different training here, because at home I train alone or maximum with three people … basically all my career. So I enjoy the group here, like with 20 people, it is a family.”
“And on the weekend, I can take the car for a surf at the Gold Coast.”
While his opening split of 27.40 was slightly slower than his previous 27.22, he improved on the middle 100, recording 29.50 and 29.62 compared to 29.86 and 29.91. Most notably, he finished significantly quicker, clocking 29.19 on the final segment versus the 29.50 that he previously posted.
Splits Comparison:
| Ceccon’s New National Record | Ceccon’s Former Best Time | |
| First 50m | 27.40 | 27.22 |
| Second 50m | 29.50 (56.90) | 29.86 (57.08) |
| Third 50m | 29.62 (1:26.52) | 29.91 (1:26.99) |
| Fourth 50m | 29.19 (1:55.71) | 29.19 (1:56.49) |
Ceccon returned to the top of the men’s 100 back last year, securing Olympic gold with a time of 52.00. This victory followed a year in which he set a world record of 51.60 in the event in 2022, but was unable to defend his world title in 2023.
At the Paris Olympic Games, his only other individual event was the 200 back, which he swam for the first time at a major international competition. He narrowly missed out on the final, finishing 9th with a time of 1:56.59. He also delivered a solid 47.44 split in the 4×100 free relay for Italy, contributing to the team’s bronze medal-winning performance.
In addition to his improvement in the 200 back, Ceccon is poised to remain a strong contender in a variety of events at Worlds. His primary focus will likely be on claiming the world title in the 100 back, where he will need to fend offKliment Kolesnikov, the second-fastest performer of all time, who overtook the world lead last week with a time of 52.04.
Ceccon is also the 2023 World Champion in the 50 fly, having logged 23.00 in the prelims of that event at this meet before opting to drop it in favor of focusing on the 200 back final. His best time and Italian record of 22.68 would likely be worthy of a top-three finish once Singapore rolls around.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Thomas Ceccon Breaks 200 Backstroke Italian Record (1:55.71) At Australian Open