Development Team Builds Experience at Gold Coast World Para Series

Competition Wrap - 2026 Para Swimming World Series (Australia)

A New Zealand Paralympic pathway development team competed at the 2026 Para Swimming World Series on the Gold Coast from 20 – 22 February. The team of five swimmers achieved great results across three days of racing, competing against a deep Australian contingent as well as athletes from several other nations.

Not only did the experience serve as a valuable opportunity to race internationally, it also allowed athletes to gain or renew their international classification.

Competing at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, which hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the team recorded 13 best times from 25 swims over three strong days of competition.

14-year-old Londyn Dillinger (Murihiku) was among the standout performers, lodging best times in each of her events and contesting three Youth finals. It was the first taste of a Para Swimming World Series for the Invercargill-based swimmer, who was one of the Paralympic Pathway top point scorers at last year's Tri Series in Ballarat.

Dillinger was very pleased with how her debut World Series meet went.

"It has been a great experience for me to race against other people in my classification from all around the world. Hard work pays off!”

James Haydon (United), fellow 2025 Tri Series top point scorer, was also in strong form – lowering his best time in the 100m freestyle twice and earning a further two personal bests across the weekend. Haydon contested two B finals on the Gold Coast, with teammate David Beck (United) joining him in the 100m freestyle B final.

Beck also set a new personal best in the 200m freestyle, while Brooke Anderson (Vikings) earned two new best times across her first Para Swimming World Series meet. Jack Bugler (Blenheim) rounded out the team, competing at the fourth Para Swimming World Series meet of his career.

Swimming NZ’s Disability & Para Swimming Participation Manager, Cameron Leslie MNZM, commended the team on their performances against strong international competition.

"The team did great. It’s outdoor swimming experience (because the LA 2028 Paralympic Games pool is outdoors) for a group who have not had a lot of it. Making B finals and Youth finals are results to be pleased with. Australia has a lot of depth, and given swimmers had also travelled from Russia, Canada, and Austria, it meant a number of the top Para swimmers were there and there were only eight spots available in the A final."

Leslie also highlighted the importance of these athletes gaining or renewing their international classification as they aspire toward LA 2028 and/or Brisbane 2032.

"For three of the five swimmers who underwent international classification and achieved the outcomes we hoped for, this confirms their pathway and potential early in the 2028/2032 cycle. Those who understand can empathise with how stressful it can be at times depending on your impairment."

Congratulations to the team for their performances at the series in Australia.

If you’d like to catch up on any of the action from the weekend, please use the links below to access the results or livestream.

Livestream

Results

Team

The swimmers that represented New Zealand on the Gold Coast:

Name	Club	Coach
Brooke Anderson	Vikings	Eliana Troiani
David Beck	United	Mitch Nairn
Jack Bugler	Blenheim	Shane Skehan
Londyn Dillinger	Murihiku	Madison Wills
James Haydon	United	Mitch Nairn

The support staff that guided our team were:

Name	Organisation	Role
Graeme White		Team Leader
Mitch Nairn	United	Coach
Eliana Troiani	Vikings	Coach