As Kyle Chalmers Makes Return From Shoulder Surgery, Kaylee McKeown Blazes 58.69 in 100 Back
Nunawading Olympic hopeful Matthew Temple’s 100m freestyle win at the South Australian State Swimming Championships in Adelaide tonight has shot him into contention for Australia’s Tokyo relay squad as defending Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers made a surprise return to competition.
Temple completed an impressive 100m freestyle-100m butterfly double on the second night of the Championships at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre – the venue for this year’s Olympic Trials (June 12-17).
While in a treat for the small local crowd, the final event of the evening saw Chalmers make a successful return to competition for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in Sydney last month, pumping out an eye-catching second split of 48.55 to spearheaded a youthful Marion team to victory in the 4x100m club freestyle relay.
RELAY RETURN: Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers made a surprise return to competition in Adelaide tonight, swimming the second leg in Marion’s 4x100m freestyle relay. Photo Courtesy: Anthony Burns APP
It will be a relief for Chalmers, his coach Peter Bishop and Dolphins Head Coach Rohan Taylor to see the Rio gold medallist churning through his home pool again five months out from the Olympic Trials.
And while Temple has made a name for himself as one of Australia’s top Tokyo butterfly hopes it was his stunning win in the 100m freestyle in a personal best time of 48.95 (23.66) – his first time under 49 seconds. – that caught the eye earlier in the night.
And he would like nothing more than to clinch a spot alongside Chalmers in the Tokyo freestyle relay team.
The powerful Victorian is on track, dropping 0.33secs from his previous best, set at the Queensland State Championships in Brisbane last month.
It is the third fastest 100m freestyle time swum over the last 12 months by an Australian behind Chalmers (47.99) and Jack Cartwright (48.58) and puts his name right into the frame to challenge for Australia’s Olympic 4x100m freestyle relay squad.
Adding in the 2019 times by Cam McEvoy (48.29), Clyde Lewis (48.45), Louis Townsend (48.88) and Alexander Graham ( 48.95) and Temple’s time certainly becomes competitive in a squad that could well see some new faces emerge.
Rio foursome Chalmers, McEvoy, James Magnussen (retired) and James Roberts won bronze behind the USA and France in 2016.
TEMPLE OF ZOOM: Nunawading flyer Matthew Temple in full flight at the US Nationals. Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble
And while Temple’s freestyle win was impressive, he actually backed up soon after to take out his specialist 100m butterfly in 51.68 (24.40) – his fourth title of the meet so far – coming after his opening night wins in the 50m freestyle (22.75) and the 200m butterfly (1:58.99) with the 100m fly win only just outside his pb of 51.47.
Night one star Kaylee McKeown (USC Spartans) joined Temple as a four-time winner – the 19-year-old adding the 100m backstroke (58.69) and soon after producing an impressive last 25 metres to grab the 100m breaststroke (1:09.44) adding to her opening night gold medals in the 50m backstroke (27.38pb) and the 200m breaststroke (2:27.21pb).
Rio Olympian Madison Wilson (Marion SA) also continued her strong form winning the 200m freestyle in 1:57.60 (57.39) before finishing second in the 50m butterfly behind Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans) in a new South Australian record time of 26.96, with Queenslander Perkins clocking 26.84.
In other events 16-year-old Fergus McLachlan (Norwood, SA) took out the 200m backstroke in 2:05.67; Jake Packard (USC Spartans) 28.26 out-touched James McKechnie (Starplex, SA) 28.42 with McKechnie adding the 200IM in 2:07.32.