Swim king Chalmers plans to feast while he can
Two big guns differed in reaction to their latest swims while an Australian record of Ariarne Titmus was broken at the selection trials for the world titles.
Kyle Chalmers says swimming faster than at last year’s Olympics is icing on the cake – and he’s planning to gorge.
The South Australian posted the third-quickest men’s 100m freestyle time in the world this year at Australia’s selection trials for the looming world championships.
He also owns the second-fastest time in what is supposed to be a post-Olympic let-down of a year.
On a Thursday night in Adelaide when Lani Pallister set an Australian women’s 800m freestyle record, Chalmers clocked 47.29 seconds to follow his 47.27 in Norway on April 5.
“I’m not here with pressure and expectation; anything I achieve from this point is just icing on the cake of my career,” Chalmers said.
“I’m stoked my body is feeling this good.
You might like
“And that’s why I want to capitalise on it while I can because I know it’s not going to feel this good forever.”
Chalmers won gold in the event at the 2016 Olympics and silver at the following two Games – at last year’s Paris edition he touched in 47.48.
“I’m physically, mentally and emotionally in a great place,” the 26-year-old said.
“When all of those buckets are topped up, I can swim well.”
Chalmers’ latest triumph came after Kaylee McKeown posted the fastest women’s 200m backstroke time of the year at the Adelaide trials.
Unlike Chalmers, she dismissed the feat as irrelevant ahead of the world titles in Singapore starting July 27.
Stay informed, daily
“It doesn’t matter what you do here, it depends what you do on the day in an international meet,” McKeown said after finishing in two minutes 04.47 seconds, some 1.33 seconds outside her world record.
“I could be doing world records here, get to an international meet and come in last, so it really doesn’t matter.
“I have just got to get my mind right and see what I can do in a few weeks’ time.”
The five-time Olympic gold medallist won all three backstroke events in Adelaide, over 50m, 100m and 200m.
She now has a shot at repeating her unprecedented achievement from the 2023 worlds in Japan when she became the first female to win three golds in any stroke over 50m, 100m and 200m at an international meet.
Also eyeing success in Singapore is Pallister, who broke Ariarne Titmus’ national 800m freestyle record.
Pallister’s 8.10.84 was inside Titmus’ previous benchmark of 8.12.29 set when winning Olympic silver year.
“That’s an Australian record I have wanted for a long time, since making my first team in 2022,” said Pallister.
The 23-year-old’s record came just two months after joining coach Dean Boxall, who also guides Titmus, who remains on a post-Olympic break.
But in a shock result in the women’s 200m butterfly, Paris Olympian Lizzy Dekkers missed out.
Dekkers, who finished fourth in the Olympic final, was third behind South Australian Brittany Castelluzzo (2:06.91) and Abbey Connor (2:07.14) who both qualified for the worlds.
In the men’s 200m individual medley, 25-year-old David Schlict (1:58.10) shaded William Petric by 0.15 seconds – both also made the world championship team.
