Kyle Chalmers has dominated the 100 freestyle for the past couple of years.
Long course, he is fast. Short course, even faster, gearing up to take down his own world record at the 2022 FINA Short Course World Championships in Melbourne later this year.
In the FINA World Cup, nobody could stop him.
For the second consecutive season, he swept the 100 freestyle events at all World Cup stops, punctuating his performance with a 45.55 on Friday in Indianapolis to win for the third stop in a row.
His world record is 44.84, meaning he is inching closer and closer to being the best he has ever been, and the Australian star is hoping to do it at home in Melbourne.
“My job is temporarily done and I get to retain my crown for at least another year,” Kyle Chalmers said. “With the form I am starting to find, and confidence I am starting to get from racing this World Cup series is going to make for a scary time for everyone else coming to race in Australia.
“Having new guys come in and challenge for my title. I love the fight. I love challenging myself against the best in the world. Melbourne is going to be no different. There will be a few more big dogs that start to roll in. I really look forward to battling them on my home soil. I still have some things to do to get faster and that is setting me up for the opportunity to race and will hopefully make me bulletproof for Short-Course Worlds.”
The brash confidence is something that has fueled Chalmers over the years. He is extremely confident, but respects the opposition enough not to get cocky. But he has every reason to be confident. Nobody has been able to swim like him in the 100 free, especially in the short course.
“The 100 freestyle is my baby. It is the event that I love. There is no better feeling than winning the event that I love the most,” Kyle Chalmers said.
His 45.55 easily bested the rest of the field. Italy’s Thomas Ceccon took second in 46.27.
But Chalmers felt something was missing.
“I didn’t execute the best possible race. It was still a little sloppy,” Chalmers said. “I definitely knew he was right there with me, but I was able to handle it and get the win. It is just having fun with my sport, loving what I am doing. I am swimming fast and know what to expect and I have been getting better every time.”
Chalmers has some big goals and after breaking a world record, small goals just aren’t the same.
“The world record in the 100 freestyle is mine, so every time I get a PB, that is a world record now,” he said. “Each world record is faster than anyone has gone in this world. I like challenging myself — 43 is a stretch but I am never going to say never. I am going to work for it. I am getting toward the midpoint of my career, so we’ll see.”
And perhaps his best performance will be in front of a home crowd in Melbourne, something Chalmers really hasn’t experienced internationally.
“We haven’t hosted an international swimming competition besides Commonwealth Games in a long time,” Kyle Chalmers said. “To have that opportunity is going to be very special.”