2022 Swammy Awards: Oceanian Male Swimmer of the Year – Zac Stubblety-Cook

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2022 OCEANIAN MALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: ZAC STUBBLETY-COOK, AUSTRALIA

Not there was any question coming off his Olympic gold medal victory in Tokyo, but Australia’s Zac Stubblety-Cook reaffirmed his position as the best male 200 breaststroker in the world in 2022, earning him Oceanian Male Swimmer of the Year honors.

Stubblety-Cook’s standout year began at the Australian Championships in May, where he became the first swimmer in history to break 2:06 in the men’s 200 breaststroke (LCM) in a time of 2:05.95, lowering the previous world record of 2:06.12 set by Russian Anton Chupkov in 2019.

Stubblety-Cook, whose previous best time was the 2:06.28 he produced at the 2021 Australian Olympic Trials, used an otherworldly closing 50 to snag the record from Chupkov, coming home in a blistering 31.63—a closing split faster than eight of the 16 semi-finalists in the men’s 100 breast at the 2022 World Championships.

At the World Championships in Budapest, the 23-year-old won gold in the 200 breast by a significant margin, touching in 2:07.07 to lead co-runners-up Yu Hanaguruma and Erik Persson (2:08.38) by 1.31 seconds, the largest winning gap since Hungarian Daniel Gyurta claimed gold by the exact same margin in 2013.

Stubblety-Cook also clocked 2:06.72 in the semi-finals of the 200 breast, giving him four of the nine fastest swims of all-time.

Having lowered his PB in the 100 breast down to 59.60 at the Australian Championships the month prior, Stubblety-Cook brought that down to 59.51 in the semis at Worlds to qualify for the final, ultimately placing seventh (59.65). He added a silver medal on Australia’s mixed 400 medley relay after recording a 58.92 split.

The Brisbane native followed up his World Championship performance at the Commonwealth Games, earning four medals including an individual gold in the 200 breast, clocking a winning time of 2:08.07 in the final. The victory marked Australia’s first in the event since Brenton Rickard in 2010.

Stubblety-Cook also won gold as a member of Australia’s mixed 400 medley relay at the Games, and added two silvers in the 100 breast (59.52) and on the men’s 400 medley relay.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• Elijah Winnington (AUS) – Winnington got some redemption after missing the podium in the men’s 400 free at the Tokyo Olympics, winning the World Championship title in Budapest in an incredible performance that saw him pull away from German Lukas Martens on the back half. Winnington’s time of 3:41.22 made him the fifth-fastest performer in history, and he also became Australia’s first world champion in the event since 2005. The 22-year-old also won a silver medal on Australia’s 4×200 freestyle relay, and added three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, including an individual gold in the 400 free (3:43.06).
• Lewis Clareburt (NZL) – Clareburt finished fourth in the men’s 400 IM and seventh in the 200 IM at the 2022 World Championships, but saved his best for the Commonwealth Games, where the New Zealander won double gold in the men’s 200 fly (1:55.60) and 400 IM (4:08.70), setting a new Oceanian and Games Record in the latter. The 23-year-old also won bronze in the 200 IM (1:57.59).
• Kyle Chalmers (AUS) – Chalmers initially stated his intention not to compete at the LC World Championships this year, but changed his mind after surprising himself and qualifying for the team in the men’s 100 butterfly. In Budapest, he delivered some blistering relay splits, including a 46.60 anchor to help propel the Aussie men to silver in the 400 free relay, and he was also sub-47 as they won gold and set a new world record in the mixed 400 medley relay. The 24-year-old then won three gold and four total medals at the Commonwealth Games, including claiming an individual title in the 100 free, setting a Games Record of 47.36 in the semis that ranks him second in the world this year. Chalmers then swept the 100 free on the FINA World Cup circuit, and followed up by piling up seven medals at the Short Course World Championships on home soil, including winning individual gold in the 100 free. He also produced the fastest 100 free split in history (44.63) to help the Aussies tie the U.S. for gold in the men’s 400 medley relay in a time of 3:18.98.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

• 2021 Swammy – Zac Stubblety-Cook, Australia
• 2020 Swammy – Matt Wilson, Australia
• 2019 Swammy – Matt Wilson, Australia
• 2018 Swammy — Kyle Chalmers, Australia
• 2017 Swammy — Mack Horton, Australia
• 2016 Swammy — Kyle Chalmers, Australia
• 2015 Swammy — Mitch Larkin, Australia
• 2014 Swammy — Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Australia
• 2013 Swammy — Christian Sprenger, Australia