Distance freestyle star Sam Short has continued to raise the stakes, breaking the Australian 800m record at the Commonwealth Games swim trials in Sydney.
Short touched in seven minutes and 36.73 seconds to take out Wednesday's final at Sydney Olympic Park, on the same evening Cam McEvoy fell short of breaking his 50m freestyle world record.
Making it three wins from three in Sydney, the 22-year-old Short eclipsed his previous 800m freestyle national record of seven minutes 37.76 seconds, set in 2023.
Having won the 200m and 400m events earlier in the week, Short remains adrift of the 800m world record of seven minutes 32.12 seconds set 17 years ago by China's Lin Zhang.
"That 7.32, is, I would say, arguably the most untouchable," Short said.
"And how I swam it tonight, I think, is the only way to get even closer to that.
"It's just about getting used to that uncomfortableness, but I've been aiming for that textile world record for a long time after winning that 7.37 when I was 19."
Short will take on the 1500m event later this week, eyeing an ambitious individual program and the 4x200m freestyle relay in Glasgow.
"Five gold medals, yeah, that'd be great," Short said.
McEvoy punched his ticket to Glasgow earlier by taking out the 50m freestyle final in 21.32 seconds.
The time misses the 32-year-old's 50m freestyle world record of 20.88 seconds - a benchmark he set in March at the China Open.
Jamie Jack - younger brother of two-time Olympic gold medallist Shayna - trailed by 0.22 seconds to finish runner-up and make his first Commonwealth Games squad.
"Ah, not too bad. I wanted it a little bit faster, personally, but again, Commonwealth Games is the plan for peaking," McEvoy said.
"(After China) it was almost like a bit of the wind was blown out of the sails naturally because it's like, well, I got it.
"It's just being OK, well, not being OK - it's sitting with the idea that I'm the fastest to touch water and just how wild that is compared to where I was four years ago."
Heading to his third Commonwealth Games, the Paris Olympics gold medallist and two-time world champion is looking to complete his medal collection with an individual title in Glasgow.
"I'd be pretty happy getting it, but it's not the main objective," McEvoy said.
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"I've got a little bit of room to move in terms of my best time.
"Whether I do that this year or not, time will tell."
Five-time Olympic gold medallist Mollie O'Callaghan just missed out on setting a 200m freestyle world record, touching in one minute and 52.86 seconds to pip Lani Pallister.
She fell short of retired Ariarne Titmus's world benchmark of one minute and 52.23 seconds, which was set at Australia's 2024 Olympic trials.
Rising star Sienna Toohey, 17, claimed the 50m breaststroke in 30.57 seconds, a day after taking out the 100m event to book her maiden Commonwealth Games spot.
Harrison Turner (men's 200m butterfly) and Sam Williamson (men's 50m breaststroke) were among other winners on Wednesday, with two-time Paralympic gold medallist Tim Hodge taking out the men's 200m medley multi-class final.
