Flynn Southam

Teenager Flynn Southam announced himself as one of Australia’s swimming stars of the future when he took down a couple of big names. 

Between 2020 and 2022, the exciting youngster broke Australian age-group records set by Kyle Chalmers and Cameron McEvoy. In 2021, he won six gold medals and broke two records at the Australian Age Championships. He won gold in the 200m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 50m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 4x50m freestyle relay.

Flynn, from the NSW northern rivers, made his Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham in 2022 as the youngest member of the swim team, while still juggling the final year of high school. He won gold in the men’s 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays, as well as the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay. 

Flynn then followed this up with four gold medals at the 2022 Junior Pan Pac Championships in the 50m, 100m, 200m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay. 

At the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Flynn won gold in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay and the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay, and bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay. His five-medal haul from the World Junior Championships in Israel that year included gold in the 200m freestyle and silver in the 50m freestyle.

In a stacked final of the 200m freestyle at the 2024 Australian championships on the Gold Coast, Flynn more than held his own, winning gold in a time of 1:46.11 – a new personal best – ahead of Elijah Winnington, with Tommy Neill finishing third.  

Away from the pool, Flynn is studying psychology and runs his own coaching and mentoring business.