Kyle Chalmers Stops the Clock at 47.59 In The 100m Freestyle To Book His Place For “The Greatest Race”
Defending Olympic 100m freestyle champion Kyle Chalmers is primed for what he has declared will be “one of the greatest races in swimming history” after barnstorming his way into the top five times of the year in 47.59 seconds in Adelaide tonight.
Chalmers spent his afternoon relaxing at home with his grandparents, watching movies and catching an afternoon nap trying to re-set after a sluggish morning heat swim.
IF THE CAP FITS: Kyle Chalmers has his eyes on the prize in Tokyo. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Returning to his home SA Aquatic And Leisure Centre pool at the foot of the Adelaide Hills and in front of a raucous home crowd.
And South Australia’s favourite swimming son delivered his fastest time in two years to put himself right in the game for Tokyo.
Down the first 50m in a conservative 23.03 “The Big Tuna” fired up down the second lap touching the wall for a comfortable victory – coming home in 24.58 – with his 47.59 the fifth fastest time of the year bettered only by Russian Kliment Kolesnikov (47.31) and Italian Alessandro Miressi (47.45), who have both swum faster than Chalmers twice in 2021.
In fact Chalmers has gate-crashed his way into a top ten dominated by Kolesnikov, Miressi and the second Russian boy Andrei Minakov but it’s a list certain to change when Caeleb Dressell and co launch themselves down the Omaha pool in Nebraska this week.
But Chalmers has already punched his ticket saying what excites him most is: “I want to be a part of one of the greatest races in history…I know there’s a lot of guys that are swimming fast at the moment.
“Obviously, it’s a bit easier to swim faster trials….And you’re going to do it when the pressure’s on and when it counts the most. So it’ll be interesting to see how quick people can go in five weeks time.”
And in a 100m freestyle final at an Australian Trials that started with all the balls in the air and landing all over the pool.
NUNA GONNA STOP ME NOW: “Nuna” boy Matthew Temple will have a busy time of his Olympic debut adding the 100m freestyle to the 200m freestyle with the likelyhood of more to come. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
IN lane two with Nunawading’s “working class man” former scaffolder Matthew Temple (48.32), claiming a surprise second place with a big finish from an outside lane.THE return of the forgotten man, 2012 and 2016 Olympian Cameron McEvoy (48.49) from the furthest outside lane – producing his fastest time in two years to reignite his career and a third Olympic team under coach Chris Nesbitt.
AND from lane five, big Western Australian Zac Incerti (48.51) who survived a disqualification to swim the house down in the 200m final after leaving the pool in tears two days ago, putting himself in his second relay alongside best mate Chalmers.
Temple, as tough as teak, claimed an earlier than expected second individual swim of the Games – adding the 100m freestyle to the 200m butterfly – with the 100m butterfly to come on the last day of the Trials on (Thursday).
TSS GIRL POWER: Madeleine Gough (in cap) hugged by training partner Kiah Melverton – both TSS girls will contest the 1500 in Tokyo. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
There was also a stunning Australian record-breaking swim by 22-year-old former Coffs Harbour girl Madeleine Gough who swam her way into the fastest top eight times in history – winning the 1500m freestyle in 15:46.13 (1:01.50; 2:05.30; 4:12.14; 8:24.77) – taking six seconds off Jess Ashwood’s 2015 time set at the World Championships in Kazan.
And in a joint celebration her long-standing training partner under the TSS Aquatic (Southport, QLD) banner, 24-year-old Kiah Melverton also went under the 16:02.75 qualifying time, in 15:57.14 swimming away from a third Chris Nesbit-coached TSS Aquatic swimmer in 23-year-old Moesha Johnson (16:02.31).
Of the current day swimmers, only the world’s greatest distance freestyler Katie Ledecky (USA), Simona Quadrella (Italy)and China’s Jianjahe Wang have swum faster than Gough in an historic event for these Games – the first time it will be swum on the Games program.
It will put Gough right in the firing line for a podium finish and another addition to an exciting group of Australian women who have put the world on notice this week – with sister act Cate Campbell and Bronte Campbell to lick start their campaigns in the 100 and 50m freestyle over the last two days of the meet.
