Flynn Southam

Flynn Southam (born 5 June 2005) is an Australian swimmer. He won three gold medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, one each in the Swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay, the Swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay, and the Swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – Mixed 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay. At the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, he won gold medals in the 50 metre freestyle, 100 metre freestyle, 200 metre freestyle, and the 4×200 metre freestyle relay, and silver medals in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay and the 4×100 metre medley relay.
==Background==
Southam was born 5 June 2005 in Australia."Flynn Southam". Commonwealth Games Federation. 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022. He trains at Bond University in Gold Coast, Queensland under the guidance of head coach Chris Mooney.Bowen, Jess (21 July 2022). "Young gun Flynn Southam prepares to make his first big splash". wearegoldcoast.com.au. 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
==Career==
===2022===
====2022 Australian Swimming Championships====
At the 2022 Australian Swimming Championships, held in Adelaide in May, Southam qualified for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, based on his time of 48.76 and third-place finish in the 100 metre freestyle, and the 4×200 metre freestyle relay, based on his fourth-place finish in the 200 metre freestyle with a time of 1:46.82.Hy-Tek (22 May 2022). "2022 Australian Swimming Championships". Swimming Australia. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
====2022 Commonwealth Games====
On day one of Swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, conducted at Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Birmingham, England starting in July, Southam won a gold medal in the Swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – Mixed 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay, contributing a split of 49.21 for the first leg of the preliminaries before being substituted out for William Yang in the final."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay Heats Results Summary". Longines. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final Results". Longines. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022. The following day, he won a second gold medal, this time leading off the Swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay in the final with a time of 48.54 seconds to help achieve a new List of Commonwealth Games records in swimming time of 3:11.12 with finals relay teammates Zac Incerti, William Yang, and Kyle Chalmers."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final Results". Longines. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022. Two days later, he went three for three in his relay events, helping win the gold medal in the Swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay in a Games record time of 7:04.96 by contributing a split of 1:46.08 for the second leg of the relay in the final."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final Results". Longines. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022. In his final event, the Swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – Men's 50 metre freestyle, he placed tenth in the semifinals with a time of 22.60 seconds."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 50m Freestyle Semi-Finals Results Summary". Longines. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
====2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships====
For the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, held at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park in August in Honolulu, United States, Southam won the gold medal in the 200 metre freestyle with a 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships#Championships records set of 1:47.11, breaking former record of 1:47.65 set by Drew Kibler in 2018.USA Swimming (24 August 2022). YouTube. Retrieved 25 August 2022.Hy-Tek (24 August 2022). "2022 Jr Pan Pacific Swimming Championships: Results". swmeets.com. Retrieved 25 August 2022.Penland, Spencer (24 August 2022). "Australia's Flynn Southam Downs Jr Pan Pacs Record In Boys 200 Free With 1:47.11". SwimSwam. Retrieved 25 August 2022. The following day, he won the gold medal in the 100 metre freestyle with a Championships record time of 48.23 seconds, lowering the former mark of 48.91 established by Jack Cartwright in 2016, and finishing over one full second ahead of silver medalist Thomas Heilman of the United States.De George, Matthew (25 August 2022). "Junior Pan Pacs: Day 2 Finals – Flynn Southam Outduels Thomas Heilman in 100 Free". Swimming World. Retrieved August 25, 2022.Sagendorph, Kyle (26 August 2022). "U.S. Grabs One Relay, Three Individual Titles on Junior Pan Pacs Night Two". USA Swimming. Retrieved 26 August 2022. Later in the finals session, he helped win the gold medal in the 4×200 metre freestyle relay in a Championships record time of 7:13.07, leading off the relay with a time of 1:47.30.USA Swimming (25 August 2022). YouTube. Retrieved 25 August 2022.Penland, Spencer (26 August 2022). "Southam And Staples Split 1:47 To Lead Australia To Boys 4×200 Jr Pan Pacs Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved 26 August 2022. On the third day, he helped win the silver medal in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay in a final time of 3:18.06, leading-off the relay with a 48.43.Lohn, John (26 August 2022). "Junior Pan Pacs – Day 3 Finals: Erin Gemmell Completes Freestyle Triple With Meet Record in 400". Swimming World. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
Starting off the fourth and final day, Southam ranked third in the preliminaries of the 50 metre freestyle with a time of 22.75 seconds and qualified for the final.USA Swimming (27 August 2022). YouTube. Retrieved 27 August 2022. For his first event of the evening finals session, he won the gold medal in the 50 metre freestyle, finishing in a time of 22.36 seconds, which was 0.14 seconds ahead of the two Americans who tied for the silver medal.Lohn, John (27 August 2022). "Junior Pan Pacs – Day 4 Finals: Maximus Williamson Crushes NAG Record (15-16) in 200 IM; Flynn Southam Triples". Swimming World. Retrieved 27 August 2022. Concluding the Championships, he helped win the silver medal in the 4×100 metre medley relay, splitting a 47.87 for the freestyle leg of the relay to contribute to the final mark of 3:36.96.USA Swimming (27 August 2022). YouTube. Retrieved 27 August 2022.Penland, Spencer (27 August 2022). "Heilman Throws Down 51.71 Fly Split As U.S. Breaks 4×100 Medley Jr Pan Pac Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
==International championships==
Meet 	50 freestyle	100 freestyle	200 freestyle	4×100 freestyle	4×200 freestyle	4×100 medley	4×100 mixed freestyle
Junior level 	Junior level	Junior level 	Junior level 	Junior level 	Junior level 	Junior level	Junior level
2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Senior level 	Senior level	Senior level 	Senior level 	Senior level 	Senior level 	Senior level	Senior level
Swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games 	10th 	 	 	 	 	 	
: Southam swam only in the prelims heats.
Category:2005 births
Category:Australian male freestyle swimmers
Category:Swimmers at the 2022 Commonwealth Games