Aussie swimming sprint king Cameron McEvoy reveals more ‘radical' training methods

News.com.au

a day ago

Australian Olympic champion Cam McEvoy has changed his training methods 'radically' this year in an attempt to reach even bigger heights after a successful performance in Paris.
McEvoy won gold in the 50m freestyle with a lightning time of 21.25 seconds and has been searching for new ways to improve since returning to Australia.
From hanging from bars and walking in air, to swimming with resistance bands, McEvoy is no stranger to employing unique training methods to better his performance.
He said he only started the swimming part of his training in late March.
'Post-Olympics is probably the best time to really go down the extreme end of the spectrum and see what you can and can't get away with,' the 31-year-old star said.
'I've been doing something pretty radically different for the last three years and this year again is very different to what I'd previously been doing.
'It's a similar philosophy with the same sort of underlying skeleton but the main thing is I only started the swimming portion in the last week of March – in previous years I'd be back in the water by October.
'Pushing it all back five months has been a little bit nerve-racking but in saying that, my times have been the best in-season times I've ever done.'
Part of the reason McEvoy delayed his swimming training was to improve his dive and build towards a quicker first 15 metres of his performance.
He said it was an improvement he believed would make him even faster in the pool.
'Historically, my swim speed from 15 to 50 metres has been the best and I've been in the lower part of the pack in that first 15 metres so I've looked to improve that.
'I've now been able to throw down some good 15-metre times which has been nice.
'I never saw myself as a 'dive guy' because you need to be very athletic in terms of jump and ability and in the past I didn't have much of that, I was a very swim-only type of creature so I've flipped that on its head now.'
McIntosh feats 'really good for sport'
Olympic gold medallist Mollie O'Callaghan is remaining focused on her own performances despite the continued dominance of Canadian swimming phenom Summer McIntosh.
18-year-old McIntosh has been smashing records for fun during the national trials in Canada, first beating Ariarne Titmus' mark in the 400m freestyle with a time of 3:54.18 and then eclipsing Hungarian Katinka Hosszu's 200m individual medley mark by clocking a 2:05.70 time.
Summer McIntosh has given away her stuffy and medal after each world record and Canadian record throughout trials
Another awesome moment here for these young fans.
Summer mania has swept across this pool, and around the country. pic.twitter.com/7NK4mkDicB
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) June 11, 2025
McIntosh could now be aiming to repeat those efforts in the 200m freestyle, a world record Titmus currently holds at 1:52.23.
O'Callaghan, who claimed gold for Australia in the 200m freestyle in Paris last year and previously held the world record for the race before Titmus claimed bragging rights last year, said she couldn't help noticing what McIntosh was doing.
'You can't help but hear about what Summer has been doing,' O'Callaghan said.
'I don't follow it super closely, I just go off of what I hear.
'It's really good for the sport.'
O'Callaghan recently participated in a Thailand training camp to prepare for this week's national swimming trials in Adelaide ahead of this year's World Championships.
She believed she was primed to attack 2025 and remained focused on her own preparation and performance despite McIntosh throwing down the gauntlet to Australia's best with her recent swims.
'I had a really good time in Thailand and I'm feeling good,' O'Callaghan said.
'I mainly just focus on what I'm doing – you're only as good as your last swim.'