Kyle Chalmers' staggering statement as Titmus has another record taken off her
The 26-year-old touched in at 47.29 on Thursday night at the Aussie trials, which is the third-fastest time of the year. Incredibly, Chalmers already recorded the second-fastest time of 2025.
Chalmers won gold back in 2016 Olympics, before backing it up with silver in the following two Games. However, his time on Thursday night was already faster than his time in Paris having won silver with 47.48.
"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. 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 wasn't the only one sending a statement to swimmers around the world. Aussie swimming superstar Kalyee McKeown posted the fastest 200m backstroke time of the year in Adelaide.
Having won four individual gold in Paris, McKeown knows what it takes to dominate her competition. Her 2:04.47 was the fastest time this year, but still 1.33 seconds of her own world record. And the 24-year-old took a different view to Chalmers and remained coy on what the achievement means a month out from the major event.
"It doesn't matter what you do here, it depends what you do on the day in an international meet," she said. "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."
2025 Australian Swimming Trials 🇦🇺Men's 100m Freestyle FinalQT: 48.341. Kyle Chalmers 47.29 QT 2. Flynn Southam 47.69 QT PB - wow‼️😳3. Maximillian Giuliani 48.34 QT4. Kai Taylor 48.375. Harrison Turner 48.43 PB6. Zac Incerti 48.46 =PB pic.twitter.com/Z5MZEzK4sz
— tsveye (@tsv3y3) June 12, 2025
The biggest swim of the night went to 23-year-old Lani Pallister. The Aussie recorded 8.10.84 in the 800 freestyle, which was inside Titmus' previous national record of 8.12.29. Titmus had set this when winning Olympic silver in Paris.
Pallister admitted she has been eyeing-off Titmus' record for a while, and achieved it having joined coach Dean Boxall, who also guides Titmus. "That's an Australian record I have wanted for a long time, since making my first team in 2022," said Pallister.
Interview of Dean Boxall live during the 800m Womens Freestyle at the Australian Swim Trials is gold! With Ariarne Titmus not swimming and his lead charger in the 800m Lani Pallister going for the Aus Record. #adelaide #australianswimtrials #ausswimtrials pic.twitter.com/hxOg5lYG4p
— Aaron South (@azasouth) June 12, 2025
Titmus has seen a number of her world records tumble during her break from the sport. Titmus was taking an extended break after the Paris Olympics and will return after the World Swimming Championships in Singapore.
However, Pallister has broken her 800m national record, while Canadian superstar Summer McIntosh broke her 400m freestyle record at her own national trials. But after her latest setback, Pallister sent a nice message to Titmus who is not in attendance.
"It's kind of bitter sweet not having her in the pool at the moment, she has done so much for women's swimming internationally, also Australian swimming, so I have so much to thank her for," Pallister said to Channel Nine. "I would have liked just under 8:10, but I think it's a big three years coming up [leading up to the Los Angeles Olympics], so to do that on eight weeks, 10 weeks of work with everyone at St Peters is huge.
"I've watched 'Arnie' obviously the past couple of years, but Katie and Summer, and I think they keep raising the bar, so as much as I'm happy with my best time - I think that's five seconds off, which is massive - I think I'm still chasing that.
"I think as athletes often times we just try and chase an improvement after you finish the race, so I'm pretty keen to get back into work and see what happens in five weeks' time [at the world championships]."
Remarkably, Pallister's swim is the third-fastest swim of all-time. She sits behind McIntosh and American great Katie Ledecky on the list.
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