SHOOSH! KYLE DOES ALL THE TALKING
THE King finally has a new crown and this one fits perfectly.
Six years after he won the Olympic title in Rio as a rookie teenager, Kyle Chalmers has a second big international 100m freestyle gold medal for his trophy cabinet.
His victory in the Commonwealth Games was over in a flash – 47.51 seconds to be exact – but it was a long time coming and the relief was clear, even if his celebration was uncharacteristically subdued. When the race was over, he climbed on the lane rope and put a single finger to his lips, as if to silence any doubters.
“I thought about it before. Normally I do a bit more powerful celebration after a win but that one probably means more than giving a fist bump or flexing the muscles,” he said. “Instead of probably enjoying the moment, it’s almost a big sense of relief, to be honest with you. It’s so nice to get the win.”
Jagging gold at the Commonwealth Games may not carry the same kudos as the Olympics or world championships but Chalmers earned this one the hard way. And it shows he’s back on track for a strong showing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he will face tougher opposition in American Caeleb Dressel and Romanian whiz-kid David Popovici. Chalmers still beat a strong field to win in Birmingham that included Tom Dean and Duncan Scott, the Olympic gold and silver medallists over 200m. And the Big Tuna did it with real authority. He made a quick getaway, leaving the blocks after 0.70sec and sprinting through the first lap in 22.87. A great frontrunner, he was never going to lose from there and he covered the closing lap in 24.64sec, extending his lead to win by 0.38 from Dean, swimming in the lane next to him, who won the silver. The bronze went to Scott, who won the race four years ago at the Gold Coast but was no match for Chalmers this time.
“It’s special,” Chalmers said. “Four years ago, I came second by such a small margin and it’s something that’s motivated me for a long period of time. Getting the gold medal is just a big relief that it’s done and I was able to do it.”
But what the stat sheets don’t show is the emotional turbulence Chalmers has been through this week after media reports of a rift in the team following the mixed freestyle relay, which included Chalmers and Emma McKeon.
Both swimmers strongly denied there were any problems in the camp, with Chalmers angrily dismissing the claims as “lies,” saying “they were damaging to his mental health”.
He’s received overwhelming support since then and said that helped him continue when he felt so low that he wanted to quit.
“I just hope no one has to go through what
I’ve had to over the last
48 hours,” he told reporters in the mixed zone. “For me this last 48 hours has been hell. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster.
“Even speaking to my coach (Peter Bishop) before the race, I almost started crying and I’m not an emotional person.”
Chalmers also opened up to Channel 7’s poolside reporter Cate Campbell about his mental battles over the past week.
“It is hard to enjoy the moment when all that has happened has gone on,” he said.
“It makes it a challenging time. I am grateful that I was able to block it out enough to stand up and win. I got to FaceTime my brother which meant the world to me. Today my Mum messaged me saying that the Army would let my brother watch the race. For me, that is all the motivation that I need to know that my brother, my best mate, is watching my race.
“I do it for him every time I go down to take my marks, I have got my brother’s name written on my foot. I appreciate all the support that I have had. I would not have been able to get through it – yesterday there were points where I thought I would not continue on.
“I had to stand up and do it, not for myself but for everybody at home, everybody going through similar things. I hope I can inspire and I will continue this conversation.” Chalmers now has three gold medals in Birmingham and could end up with five.
“I was hoping to be on the next flight out of here,” he said. “But I’ve still got a job to do in the relays for my country.”