Six QUT students will be hitting the pool in Singapore this month to take on the world’s best swimmers and water polo players at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships (July 11 to August 3).
Five students are part of the national Dolphins team representing Australia, and international student Loane Russet will swim for Vanuatu.
Loane is studying sport and exercise science at QUT and will contest the 50m freestyle at the Worlds.
The five students representing Australia in Singapore are:
- Lewis Bishop, Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology – 100m para freestyle
- Lily Price, Bachelor of Business – 50m butterfly (Aug 1), 100m butterfly (July 27)
- Sam Short, Bachelor of Laws (Honours) – 400m freestyle (July 27), 800m freestyle (July 29), 1500m freestyle
- Edward Sommerville, Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) – 200m freestyle (July 28)
- Alice Williams, Bachelor of Biomedical Science – water polo
The World Aquatics Championships is a multi-sport, three-week event.
The schedule kicks off with water polo from July 11, with swimming events held from July 27.
Lewis, Sam and Alice were all in the Dolphins squad for last year’s Paris Games, but Singapore will be Lily and Edward’s first time representing Australia at a senior, long-course championships.
Photo by Wade Brennan @wadesphotos
“It’s such an honour to make my first long course Dolphins team and to be heading to the World Championships,” Lily said.
“I’ve looked up to the team for so long, so to now be part of it is really special. I’m just excited to gain experience at this level and keep learning.
“Balancing uni and swimming definitely keeps me busy, but I’ve got great support around me which makes a huge difference.
“It can be a bit of a juggle sometimes, but I actually like having something outside of swimming to focus on, as it gives me a bit more balance and helps me to switch off.”
Edward is also looking forward to Singapore.
“Going to my first long course worlds is incredibly exciting and gives me another opportunity to represent Australia on the world stage,” he said.
“I think the atmosphere in Singapore is the thing I’m looking most forward too, after competing there last year in the World Cup.”
Edward combines his training with studying a double major in mechanical and aerospace engineering at QUT, and is also hoping to find an engineering internship in Brisbane this year.
Three of the student-athletes competing in Singapore have already experienced standing on the podium at a global level.
Alice is an Olympic medallist who brought home silver from Paris with the Aussie Stingers, and was the women’s water polo competition’s most prolific goal scorer out of all nations.
Lewis also returned from Paris with a medal from his debut Paralympic Games, after a blistering finish in the S9 100m butterfly to claim bronze.
“I was pretty ecstatic when I was selected for my first Australian team in 2024 – but to be able to do it again this year is pretty special,” Lewis said.
“I am looking forward to the excitement that comes with repping the green and gold. I love racing, and the fact that my family is coming to watch is pretty awesome.”
Sam claimed an amazing three medals at the 2023 World Championships in Japan – gold in the 400m freestyle, silver in the 800m freestyle and bronze in the 1500m freestyle.
“I’m training well at the moment and looking forward to racing the world’s best at these championships,” Sam said.
All of the student-athletes heading to Singapore are members of the QUT Elite Sport Program, which provides support to help students navigate university while they trained and competed.
QUT Director of Sport Emily Rosemond said selection for the World Aquatics Championships reflected not only the athletes’ sporting talent but also their ability to balance the demands of study, training and competition.
“Reaching the world stage is an outstanding achievement,” she said.
“It requires focus, discipline, and the ability to juggle university, elite sport, and everyday life.
“Our student-athletes are fantastic role models. They demonstrate exceptional levels of resilience and commitment needed to succeed both academically and in high-performance sport.
“We’re proud to support them through QUT’s Elite Sport Program and look forward to following their performances in Singapore.”
Earlier this year QUT also became the first Australian university to be named a gold tier member of the Australian Institute of Sport’s new Elite Sport Education Network (ESEN).
Main image at top of page: QUT student athletes (from top left, clockwise) Sam Short, Edward Sommerville, Alice Williams, Loane Russet, Lily Price and Lewis Bishop.
QUT Media contacts:
- Mechelle McMahon, media@qut.edu.au
- After hours, 0407 585 901 or media@qut.edu.au
