The 2008 Telstra Australian Swimming Championships were held at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from 22 - 29 March 2008. The championships were used as the Australian trials for the 2008 Olympic Games squad.
Like all previous Australian swimming trials, the championships program mirrored the 2008 Olympic swimming program with the addition of the non-Olympic events - 50 m backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly; 800 m freestyle (men) and 1500 m freestyle (women).
Highlighted swimmers achieved the qualification conditions to be included in the Olympic team in that respective event.
| 50 m freestyle | Eamon Sullivan | 21.28 WR | Ashley Callus | 22.02 | Jonathon Newton | 22.15 | |
| 100 m freestyle | Eamon Sullivan | 47.52 OC | Matt Targett | 48.36 | Andrew Lauterstein | 48.57 | |
| 200 m freestyle | Grant Hackett | 1:47.03 | Kenrick Monk | 1:47.10 | Nicholas Sprenger | 1:47.17 | |
| 400 m freestyle | Grant Hackett | 3:43.15 | Craig Stevens | 3:46.64 | Robert Hurley | 3:49.48 | |
| 800 m freestyle | Cameron Smith | 8:04.95 | Michael Hardy | 8:11.67 | Alexander McNeill | 8:18.05 | |
| 1500 m freestyle | Grant Hackett | 14:48.65 | Craig Stevens | 14:53.18 | Trent Grimsey[1] | 15:12.36 | |
| 50 m backstroke | Ashley Delaney | 25.18 | Hayden Stoeckel | 25.47 | Matt Welsh | 25.52 | |
| 100 m backstroke | Ashley Delaney | 53.68 OC | Hayden Stoeckel | 53.86 | Matt Welsh | 54.21 | |
| 200 m backstroke | Hayden Stoeckel | 1:56.75 OC | Ashley Delaney | 1:57.53 | Ephriam Hannant | 1:59.50 | |
| 50 m breaststroke | Brenton Rickard | 27.30 OC | Christian Sprenger | 28.36 | Karl Wurzer | 28.84 | |
| 100 m breaststroke | Brenton Rickard | 1:00.04 OC | Christian Sprenger | 1:00.22 | Jim Piper | 1:00.92 | |
| 200 m breaststroke | Brenton Rickard | 2:09.51 OC | Christian Sprenger | 2:11.02 | Craig Tucker | 2:12.86 | |
| 50 m butterfly | Matt Targett | 23.51 | Andrew Lauterstein | 23.61 | Chris Wright | 24.12 | |
| 100 m butterfly | Andrew Lauterstein | 51.91 | Adam Pine | 52.13 | Garth Kates | 52.47 | |
| 200 m butterfly | Nick D'Arcy | 1:55.10 OC | Travis Nederpelt | 1:56.06 | Chris Wright | 1:58.75 | |
| 200 m individual medley | Leith Brodie | 1:59.90 | Adam Lucas | 2:01.84 | Travis Nederpelt | 2:02.79 | |
| 400 m individual medley | Travis Nederpelt | 4:16.31 | Adam Lucas | 4:19.07 | Nick Cordner | 4:21.56 | |
| 4×100 m freestyle relay | Andrew Lauterstein (48.57) Ashley Callus (48.68) Patrick Murphy (49.27) Kirk Palmer (49.44) | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| 4×200 m freestyle relay | Nicholas Sprenger (01:47.17) Leith Brodie (1:47.47) Patrick Murphy (1:47.50) Grant Brits (1:47.56) | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| 4×100 m medley relay | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| 50 m freestyle | Libby Trickett | 23.97 WR | Cate Campbell | 24.38 | Sophie Edington | 24.98 | |
| 100 m freestyle | Libby Trickett | 52.88 WR | Cate Campbell | 53.81 | Melanie Schlanger | 54.20 | |
| 200 m freestyle | Bronte Barratt | 1:56.60 OC | Linda Mackenzie | 1:56.99 | Angie Bainbridge | 1:58.11 | |
| 400 m freestyle | Linda Mackenzie | 4:04.73 OC | Bronte Barratt | 4:05.19 | Kylie Palmer | 4:06.21 | |
| 800 m freestyle | Kylie Palmer | 8:24.30 | Melissa Gorman | 8:36.23 | Lorren Sellwood | 8:39.89 | |
| 1500 m freestyle | Erin McCleave | 16:50.41 | Luane Rowe | 16:54.95 | Alexandra Bagley | 16:58.00 | |
| 50 m backstroke | Sophie Edington | 27.67 WR | Tayliah Zimmer | 28.24 | Rachel Goh | 29.42 | |
| 100 m backstroke | Emily Seebohm | 59.59 OC | Sophie Edington | 59.84 | Belinda Hocking | 59.97 | |
| 200 m backstroke | Meagen Nay | 2:08.55 OC | Belinda Hocking | 2:08.93 | Emily Seebohm | 2:10.10 | |
| 50 m breaststroke | Tarnee White | 30.66 | Jade Edmistone | 31.13 | Kristy Morrison | 31.69 | |
| 100 m breaststroke | Leisel Jones | 1:05.75 | Tarnee White | 1:06.46 | Sarah Katsoulis | 1:07.58 | |
| 200 m breaststroke | Leisel Jones | 2:21.34 | Sally Foster | 2:25.70 | Sarah Katsoulis | 2:26.72 | |
| 50 m butterfly | Marieke Guehrer | 26.48 | Danni Miatke | 26.61 | Jessicah Schipper | 26.72 | |
| 100 m butterfly | Libby Trickett | 56.81 OC | Jessicah Schipper | 57.31 | 58.39 | ||
| 200 m butterfly | Jessicah Schipper | 2:06.82 | Samantha Hamill | 2:07.61 | 2:07.67 | ||
| 200 m individual medley | Stephanie Rice | 2:08.92 WR | Alicia Coutts | 2:11.87 | Shayne Reese | 2:12.97 | |
| 400 m individual medley | Stephanie Rice | 4:31.46 WR | Samantha Hamill | 4:41.61 | Ellen Fullerton | 4:46.79 | |
| 4×100 m freestyle relay | Melanie Schlanger (54.20) Alice Mills (00:54.27) Shayne Reese (54.80) Angie Bainbridge (55.01) | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| 4×200 m freestyle relay | Angie Bainbridge (1:58.11) Lara Davenport (1:58.55) Melanie Schlanger (1:58.71) Kylie Palmer (1:58.79) | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| 4×200 m medley relay | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Due to strong performances, two additional members were added to the Australian Olympic swim team: Nick Ffrost and Felicity Galvez both finished seventh in their 200 m freestyle events. Additionally, Galvez finished third in the women's 100 m butterfly. This created controversy with freestyler Andrew Mewing appealing his non-selection after finishing 8th with an A qualifying time, whilst Galvez was selected via a B qualifying time, that ranked her 9th in the 200 m freestyle. Mewing lost his appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Adam Lucas finished second in both the 200 m and 400 m individual medley events, but was not selected because he swam a B qualifying time, rather than an A qualifying time. These are the only events on the Australian roster that remain without a second qualifier.
Melissa Gorman failed to meet the qualification time for the 800 m freestyle at the championships themselves, however was included in the team to swim this event after qualifying for the 10 km marathon swimming event.[2]
During the early hours of 30 March 2008, Nick D'Arcy was involved in an altercation with a fellow Australia swimmer, Simon Cowley. He was subsequently charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.[3] On 18 April, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) dropped D'Arcy from its 2008 Olympic team, claiming that the swimmer had brought the team into disrepute.[4] D'Arcy subsequently appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which confirmed the AOC's decision. However, CAS also found that the decision to expel D'Arcy should not have been made solely by the President of the AOC John Coates, but instead by the entire AOC Board.[5] The AOC Board subsequently unanimously decided to withdraw D'Arcy's membership from the team on 11 June 2008.[6]
D'Arcy appealed the AOC Board's decision to CAS, which rejected this appeal on 16 June 2008.[7] In March 2009, D'Arcy received a jail sentence of 14 months and 12 days, suspended on condition of good behavior.[8]