Swimming Australia’s path to Paris Olympics begins in Busselton

Busselton Jetty will be the centrepiece of the first major Australia-based swimming event of the year, as the 2023 Ocean Swim Festival and Australian Open Water Championships gets underway from tomorrow in Western Australia’s South West region.

375 athletes have entered the Australian Open Water Championships, running from 25th to 28th January, headlined by the blue riband 10km event today.

The sole Olympic event on the program, the Men’s and Women’s 10km Australian Championship is the first step in the qualification process for those athletes looking to secure their place on the Australian Dolphins team for Paris 2024.

Supported by the Western Australian Government through Tourism Western Australia and the City of Busselton, Australia's leading Open Water event is expected to attract a broader audience beyond elite level athletes, with a community swim event on 26th January anticipated to draw hundreds of amateur swimming enthusiasts.

A variety of distances are on offer for the community swim, including 500m, 1.25km, 2.5km, 5km, 7.5km and 10km options, with registrations to be taken right up to race time.

Spectators attending the Ocean Swim Festival will also be treated to a number of onshore activities across the four days, including music and entertainment for kids, a night market and even a floating cinema.