Aussie swim legend cashing in on fresh feelings
Kyle Chalmers has never felt this way before.
"It has been a long time since my body has felt this good, if ever, in my career," the big fish of Australian swimming said.
Six months after thinking he'd quit swimming, Chalmers' extraordinary career has hit yet another height.
On Thursday night at Australia's selection trials for the looming world titles, he clocked his fastest 100m freestyle on home soil - 47.29 seconds.
That's quicker than his 2016 Olympic gold swim in the event (47.58); faster than his silver medal at last year's Olympics (47.48).
And he's now setting sights on his personal best of 47.08, achieved twice - including when winning Olympic silver in 2021 in Tokyo.
Just how is Chalmers, a fortnight shy of his 27th birthday on June 25, defying an age when many swimmers start treading water?
His answer is two-fold: mental and physical.
"I'm just extremely happy," Chalmers said.
"I have got ... a fiancee who's incredible, I'm preparing to be a dad, living on a farm.
"There's so many amazing things going on outside of the pool that it allows me to just come here and have fun."
Chalmers has won a mind-boggling 74 international medals, including nine at the Olympics; a dozen at world championships; nine more at Commonwealth Games.
His legend is assured.
"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.
Then, he added his second reason: "I'm not injured at the moment either."
Chalmers has had heart surgery, three times, for a non-life threatening condition which caused a rapid heartbeat.
He's had shoulder operations; lower back problems requiring repeated cortisone injections; ankle surgery after being hurt playing Australian Rules football in September 2023.
"That injury was probably the worst of them all," he said.
"I fully snapped all the ligaments holding my lower leg bones together, it was a terrible injury."
But now? When was the last time he physically felt as good?
"Probably 2020," he said, before fact-checking himself.
"Actually, that's a lie. I had my lower back problems before that - I had about six cortisones in my back in the lead in to 2020.
"Then my shoulders went on me.
"Those five years through to Paris last year were very challenging."
Even when Chalmers burst to fame as an 18-year-old by winning Olympic gold in 2016, he was hurting.
"Even then, I was having problems with growth spurts so I was cramping and growing and in pain," he said.
"Now, I'm just doing whatever I want to do and it seems to be working.
"I've seen the physio twice this whole year compared to the lead up to Tokyo (Olympics of 2021) when I was seeing a physio every single day, if not twice a day.
"It has been an amazing turnaround and 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."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Olympic golden girl surfaces from dark hole
Swim star Mollie O'Callaghan has emerged from a self-described dark hole to prove she can remain a world-beater. O'Callaghan has posted the fastest women's 100m freestyle time this year - 52.87 seconds - at Australia's selection trials for the looming world titles. The 21-year-old who already boasts five Olympic gold medals has battled a post-Paris let-down, injury and illness in a troubled preparation for the trials. "I have learnt so much mentally this time ... there was a lot of setbacks," O'Callaghan said after her Friday night feat. "You have to always step in that dark place to get the best out of your self. "That's what sport is about, it's putting yourself in that hole to see how mentally strong you are - and I've definitely done that this season." O'Callaghan took five months off after being Australia's most successful athlete at last year's Olympic Games when winning three gold medals plus a silver and bronze. After the journey of self-discovery to find an identity outside of swimming, she returned to the pool but suffered a knee injury, then illness, ahead of the trials for the world titles in Singapore starting July 27. "You can't really predict injury, you can't predict sickness, you can't predict any of that," O'Callaghan said. "You can try and prevent it all you want but sometimes those things just happen and it's just how you look at it. "There was a lot of tears. But in the long run, I have learnt so much about myself and I wouldn't change a thing." Her bumpy preparation is something compatriot Zac Stubblety-Cook can relate to after he secured his spot on the Dolphins team for the worlds. Stubblety-Cook won his 200m breaststroke final in two minutes 09.09 seconds. The time was well shy of his personal best of 2.05.95, which was a world record when set in 2022 until broken by China's Qin Haiyang a year later. An Olympic gold medallist in the event at the Tokyo Games of 2021 and silver medallist last year in Paris, Stubblety-Cook was pragmatic about his latest performance. "Last year, I had a lot of time off and a lot of time to reflect and see where I was at - and make sure I really wanted to commit to the next four years," he said. "And it's year one out of four so we're taking it much more as a four-year approach (to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics)." In the men's 200m backstroke, Josh Edwards-Smith (1:56.94) and Brad Woodward (1:57.14) earnt selection for the worlds. In the women's 200m breaststroke, Ella Ramsay (2:23.92) and Tara Kinder (2:24.61) also made the team. And Sam Short's return to form continued with victory in the men's 1500m freestyle - he touched in 14:52.43, just 0.56 seconds ahead of fellow 21-year-old Ben Goedemans. Swim star Mollie O'Callaghan has emerged from a self-described dark hole to prove she can remain a world-beater. O'Callaghan has posted the fastest women's 100m freestyle time this year - 52.87 seconds - at Australia's selection trials for the looming world titles. The 21-year-old who already boasts five Olympic gold medals has battled a post-Paris let-down, injury and illness in a troubled preparation for the trials. "I have learnt so much mentally this time ... there was a lot of setbacks," O'Callaghan said after her Friday night feat. "You have to always step in that dark place to get the best out of your self. "That's what sport is about, it's putting yourself in that hole to see how mentally strong you are - and I've definitely done that this season." O'Callaghan took five months off after being Australia's most successful athlete at last year's Olympic Games when winning three gold medals plus a silver and bronze. After the journey of self-discovery to find an identity outside of swimming, she returned to the pool but suffered a knee injury, then illness, ahead of the trials for the world titles in Singapore starting July 27. "You can't really predict injury, you can't predict sickness, you can't predict any of that," O'Callaghan said. "You can try and prevent it all you want but sometimes those things just happen and it's just how you look at it. "There was a lot of tears. But in the long run, I have learnt so much about myself and I wouldn't change a thing." Her bumpy preparation is something compatriot Zac Stubblety-Cook can relate to after he secured his spot on the Dolphins team for the worlds. Stubblety-Cook won his 200m breaststroke final in two minutes 09.09 seconds. The time was well shy of his personal best of 2.05.95, which was a world record when set in 2022 until broken by China's Qin Haiyang a year later. An Olympic gold medallist in the event at the Tokyo Games of 2021 and silver medallist last year in Paris, Stubblety-Cook was pragmatic about his latest performance. "Last year, I had a lot of time off and a lot of time to reflect and see where I was at - and make sure I really wanted to commit to the next four years," he said. "And it's year one out of four so we're taking it much more as a four-year approach (to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics)." In the men's 200m backstroke, Josh Edwards-Smith (1:56.94) and Brad Woodward (1:57.14) earnt selection for the worlds. In the women's 200m breaststroke, Ella Ramsay (2:23.92) and Tara Kinder (2:24.61) also made the team. And Sam Short's return to form continued with victory in the men's 1500m freestyle - he touched in 14:52.43, just 0.56 seconds ahead of fellow 21-year-old Ben Goedemans. Swim star Mollie O'Callaghan has emerged from a self-described dark hole to prove she can remain a world-beater. O'Callaghan has posted the fastest women's 100m freestyle time this year - 52.87 seconds - at Australia's selection trials for the looming world titles. The 21-year-old who already boasts five Olympic gold medals has battled a post-Paris let-down, injury and illness in a troubled preparation for the trials. "I have learnt so much mentally this time ... there was a lot of setbacks," O'Callaghan said after her Friday night feat. "You have to always step in that dark place to get the best out of your self. "That's what sport is about, it's putting yourself in that hole to see how mentally strong you are - and I've definitely done that this season." O'Callaghan took five months off after being Australia's most successful athlete at last year's Olympic Games when winning three gold medals plus a silver and bronze. After the journey of self-discovery to find an identity outside of swimming, she returned to the pool but suffered a knee injury, then illness, ahead of the trials for the world titles in Singapore starting July 27. "You can't really predict injury, you can't predict sickness, you can't predict any of that," O'Callaghan said. "You can try and prevent it all you want but sometimes those things just happen and it's just how you look at it. "There was a lot of tears. But in the long run, I have learnt so much about myself and I wouldn't change a thing." Her bumpy preparation is something compatriot Zac Stubblety-Cook can relate to after he secured his spot on the Dolphins team for the worlds. Stubblety-Cook won his 200m breaststroke final in two minutes 09.09 seconds. The time was well shy of his personal best of 2.05.95, which was a world record when set in 2022 until broken by China's Qin Haiyang a year later. An Olympic gold medallist in the event at the Tokyo Games of 2021 and silver medallist last year in Paris, Stubblety-Cook was pragmatic about his latest performance. "Last year, I had a lot of time off and a lot of time to reflect and see where I was at - and make sure I really wanted to commit to the next four years," he said. "And it's year one out of four so we're taking it much more as a four-year approach (to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics)." In the men's 200m backstroke, Josh Edwards-Smith (1:56.94) and Brad Woodward (1:57.14) earnt selection for the worlds. In the women's 200m breaststroke, Ella Ramsay (2:23.92) and Tara Kinder (2:24.61) also made the team. And Sam Short's return to form continued with victory in the men's 1500m freestyle - he touched in 14:52.43, just 0.56 seconds ahead of fellow 21-year-old Ben Goedemans.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Legendary coach accepts para swimmer for first time
Tom Gallagher senses his duty after becoming the first para swimmer accepted into the program of legendary coach Dean Boxall. Gallagher is among a 25-strong Australian squad for the world para swimming championships in Singapore from September 21-27. The 26-year-old freestyler and backstroker, who has cerebral palsy and races in S10 events, joined Boxall only five weeks ago. "It's a very big honour for me, to be the first para swimmer under Dean," Gallagher told AAP on Friday night. "It's also a responsibility to represent the para community with pride and show that we don't have any limitations. "If I can do the hardest program in Australia, why can't anyone else?" Gallagher, who has won one gold and three bronze medals from his two Paralympics, approached Boxall, who coaches star able-bodied swimmers including Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O'Callaghan. "I just reached out ... and they let me in five weeks ago," he said. "It has changed the game for me. It has made me fall in love again with swimming. "It has been the hardest five weeks of training in my life but I have loved every second of it. "The squad there, the support staff, Dean - it's just the perfect environment. "And to be surrounded by the best athletes in the world, it's unbelievable and it gets the best out of myself." Australia's para team for the looming worlds includes 17-year-old rookie Declan Budd and 22 swimmers who raced at last year's Paris Paralympics. The Paris opening ceremony flag bearer, Brenden Hall, will compete at his fifth and final world titles in Singapore. The Dolphins' para team also features Ben Hance, who broke his own world record in the 100m backstroke (S14) at the Adelaide trials. Hance set a fresh benchmark of 56.35 seconds in a heat swim on Friday morning. Tom Gallagher senses his duty after becoming the first para swimmer accepted into the program of legendary coach Dean Boxall. Gallagher is among a 25-strong Australian squad for the world para swimming championships in Singapore from September 21-27. The 26-year-old freestyler and backstroker, who has cerebral palsy and races in S10 events, joined Boxall only five weeks ago. "It's a very big honour for me, to be the first para swimmer under Dean," Gallagher told AAP on Friday night. "It's also a responsibility to represent the para community with pride and show that we don't have any limitations. "If I can do the hardest program in Australia, why can't anyone else?" Gallagher, who has won one gold and three bronze medals from his two Paralympics, approached Boxall, who coaches star able-bodied swimmers including Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O'Callaghan. "I just reached out ... and they let me in five weeks ago," he said. "It has changed the game for me. It has made me fall in love again with swimming. "It has been the hardest five weeks of training in my life but I have loved every second of it. "The squad there, the support staff, Dean - it's just the perfect environment. "And to be surrounded by the best athletes in the world, it's unbelievable and it gets the best out of myself." Australia's para team for the looming worlds includes 17-year-old rookie Declan Budd and 22 swimmers who raced at last year's Paris Paralympics. The Paris opening ceremony flag bearer, Brenden Hall, will compete at his fifth and final world titles in Singapore. The Dolphins' para team also features Ben Hance, who broke his own world record in the 100m backstroke (S14) at the Adelaide trials. Hance set a fresh benchmark of 56.35 seconds in a heat swim on Friday morning. Tom Gallagher senses his duty after becoming the first para swimmer accepted into the program of legendary coach Dean Boxall. Gallagher is among a 25-strong Australian squad for the world para swimming championships in Singapore from September 21-27. The 26-year-old freestyler and backstroker, who has cerebral palsy and races in S10 events, joined Boxall only five weeks ago. "It's a very big honour for me, to be the first para swimmer under Dean," Gallagher told AAP on Friday night. "It's also a responsibility to represent the para community with pride and show that we don't have any limitations. "If I can do the hardest program in Australia, why can't anyone else?" Gallagher, who has won one gold and three bronze medals from his two Paralympics, approached Boxall, who coaches star able-bodied swimmers including Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O'Callaghan. "I just reached out ... and they let me in five weeks ago," he said. "It has changed the game for me. It has made me fall in love again with swimming. "It has been the hardest five weeks of training in my life but I have loved every second of it. "The squad there, the support staff, Dean - it's just the perfect environment. "And to be surrounded by the best athletes in the world, it's unbelievable and it gets the best out of myself." Australia's para team for the looming worlds includes 17-year-old rookie Declan Budd and 22 swimmers who raced at last year's Paris Paralympics. The Paris opening ceremony flag bearer, Brenden Hall, will compete at his fifth and final world titles in Singapore. The Dolphins' para team also features Ben Hance, who broke his own world record in the 100m backstroke (S14) at the Adelaide trials. Hance set a fresh benchmark of 56.35 seconds in a heat swim on Friday morning.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Piastri sees 'cooler' stats ahead after great start
Oscar Piastri could stand alone after the Canadian Grand Prix as the only Australian to win six or more races in a single Formula One season -- but the 24-year-old has bigger and better statistics in his sights. Only Jack Brabham and Alan Jones, world champions both, won five in the same year although their tallies reflect the fact that there were far fewer races then in an annual campaign than the current record schedule of 24. Piastri, who leads McLaren teammate Lando Norris by 10 points in the championship, has won five of the nine so far and been on the podium in the last eight. It will surprise nobody if the remarkably calm 24-year-old driver is back on the top step at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday. "It's a nice stat to have," he said of matching the maximum season haul of 1980 champion Jones and late triple title-winner Brabham. "But I'd be happier with the stat of joining them as world champion. "To have five wins in nine races is beyond what I expected really, even with a very competitive car," he added, saying there had also been a few other moments he wished he could rerun. "Whilst those stats are cool, that's ultimately not why I'm here," he said. "I'm here to try and win even more races and fight for a championship. So I think there's some cooler statistics to come hopefully." Piastri said he expected Montreal to be a continuation of how the season has gone so far, with champions McLaren winning seven of the nine and Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen the other two, and also good for him. "Max will probably be competitive again. This was a very competitive race for Mercedes last year and I expect them to be quick again here," he added. "But you never quite know whether that's going to be matching us or challenging in qualifying especially, or a tenth or two back. Hopefully it's not a tenth or two ahead but you just never quite know exactly where the challenge is going to come from. "Monaco was a strong race for Ferrari and there's some similarities to here but we said that 12 months ago and it wasn't a great race for them." Piastri qualified fourth with Norris third on the grid in Canada last year but the Australian finished fifth with his teammate runner-up to Verstappen. "Somewhat ironically the races that were pretty bad for me last year have been the best so far this year, and some of the ones that were good last year haven't been great," he said. "So we'll see how we go but I'm expecting it to be a good weekend...I've been very comfortable with the car the whole year and I feel like I'm in a good place at the moment so I'm expecting it to be strong." Oscar Piastri could stand alone after the Canadian Grand Prix as the only Australian to win six or more races in a single Formula One season -- but the 24-year-old has bigger and better statistics in his sights. Only Jack Brabham and Alan Jones, world champions both, won five in the same year although their tallies reflect the fact that there were far fewer races then in an annual campaign than the current record schedule of 24. Piastri, who leads McLaren teammate Lando Norris by 10 points in the championship, has won five of the nine so far and been on the podium in the last eight. It will surprise nobody if the remarkably calm 24-year-old driver is back on the top step at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday. "It's a nice stat to have," he said of matching the maximum season haul of 1980 champion Jones and late triple title-winner Brabham. "But I'd be happier with the stat of joining them as world champion. "To have five wins in nine races is beyond what I expected really, even with a very competitive car," he added, saying there had also been a few other moments he wished he could rerun. "Whilst those stats are cool, that's ultimately not why I'm here," he said. "I'm here to try and win even more races and fight for a championship. So I think there's some cooler statistics to come hopefully." Piastri said he expected Montreal to be a continuation of how the season has gone so far, with champions McLaren winning seven of the nine and Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen the other two, and also good for him. "Max will probably be competitive again. This was a very competitive race for Mercedes last year and I expect them to be quick again here," he added. "But you never quite know whether that's going to be matching us or challenging in qualifying especially, or a tenth or two back. Hopefully it's not a tenth or two ahead but you just never quite know exactly where the challenge is going to come from. "Monaco was a strong race for Ferrari and there's some similarities to here but we said that 12 months ago and it wasn't a great race for them." Piastri qualified fourth with Norris third on the grid in Canada last year but the Australian finished fifth with his teammate runner-up to Verstappen. "Somewhat ironically the races that were pretty bad for me last year have been the best so far this year, and some of the ones that were good last year haven't been great," he said. "So we'll see how we go but I'm expecting it to be a good weekend...I've been very comfortable with the car the whole year and I feel like I'm in a good place at the moment so I'm expecting it to be strong." Oscar Piastri could stand alone after the Canadian Grand Prix as the only Australian to win six or more races in a single Formula One season -- but the 24-year-old has bigger and better statistics in his sights. Only Jack Brabham and Alan Jones, world champions both, won five in the same year although their tallies reflect the fact that there were far fewer races then in an annual campaign than the current record schedule of 24. Piastri, who leads McLaren teammate Lando Norris by 10 points in the championship, has won five of the nine so far and been on the podium in the last eight. It will surprise nobody if the remarkably calm 24-year-old driver is back on the top step at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday. "It's a nice stat to have," he said of matching the maximum season haul of 1980 champion Jones and late triple title-winner Brabham. "But I'd be happier with the stat of joining them as world champion. "To have five wins in nine races is beyond what I expected really, even with a very competitive car," he added, saying there had also been a few other moments he wished he could rerun. "Whilst those stats are cool, that's ultimately not why I'm here," he said. "I'm here to try and win even more races and fight for a championship. So I think there's some cooler statistics to come hopefully." Piastri said he expected Montreal to be a continuation of how the season has gone so far, with champions McLaren winning seven of the nine and Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen the other two, and also good for him. "Max will probably be competitive again. This was a very competitive race for Mercedes last year and I expect them to be quick again here," he added. "But you never quite know whether that's going to be matching us or challenging in qualifying especially, or a tenth or two back. Hopefully it's not a tenth or two ahead but you just never quite know exactly where the challenge is going to come from. "Monaco was a strong race for Ferrari and there's some similarities to here but we said that 12 months ago and it wasn't a great race for them." Piastri qualified fourth with Norris third on the grid in Canada last year but the Australian finished fifth with his teammate runner-up to Verstappen. "Somewhat ironically the races that were pretty bad for me last year have been the best so far this year, and some of the ones that were good last year haven't been great," he said. "So we'll see how we go but I'm expecting it to be a good weekend...I've been very comfortable with the car the whole year and I feel like I'm in a good place at the moment so I'm expecting it to be strong." Oscar Piastri could stand alone after the Canadian Grand Prix as the only Australian to win six or more races in a single Formula One season -- but the 24-year-old has bigger and better statistics in his sights. Only Jack Brabham and Alan Jones, world champions both, won five in the same year although their tallies reflect the fact that there were far fewer races then in an annual campaign than the current record schedule of 24. Piastri, who leads McLaren teammate Lando Norris by 10 points in the championship, has won five of the nine so far and been on the podium in the last eight. It will surprise nobody if the remarkably calm 24-year-old driver is back on the top step at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday. "It's a nice stat to have," he said of matching the maximum season haul of 1980 champion Jones and late triple title-winner Brabham. "But I'd be happier with the stat of joining them as world champion. "To have five wins in nine races is beyond what I expected really, even with a very competitive car," he added, saying there had also been a few other moments he wished he could rerun. "Whilst those stats are cool, that's ultimately not why I'm here," he said. "I'm here to try and win even more races and fight for a championship. So I think there's some cooler statistics to come hopefully." Piastri said he expected Montreal to be a continuation of how the season has gone so far, with champions McLaren winning seven of the nine and Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen the other two, and also good for him. "Max will probably be competitive again. This was a very competitive race for Mercedes last year and I expect them to be quick again here," he added. "But you never quite know whether that's going to be matching us or challenging in qualifying especially, or a tenth or two back. Hopefully it's not a tenth or two ahead but you just never quite know exactly where the challenge is going to come from. "Monaco was a strong race for Ferrari and there's some similarities to here but we said that 12 months ago and it wasn't a great race for them." Piastri qualified fourth with Norris third on the grid in Canada last year but the Australian finished fifth with his teammate runner-up to Verstappen. "Somewhat ironically the races that were pretty bad for me last year have been the best so far this year, and some of the ones that were good last year haven't been great," he said. "So we'll see how we go but I'm expecting it to be a good weekend...I've been very comfortable with the car the whole year and I feel like I'm in a good place at the moment so I'm expecting it to be strong."
