Chalmers keeps calm outlook for team trial
SWIMMING: Kyle Chalmers hopes the lessons he learnt during last year’s forced sabbatical will lead to him having a long career in the pool after admitting he allowed the pressure of being Olympic champion get to him after the Rio Games.
Chalmers heads into the Commonwealth Games trials on the Gold Coast today back to his best after being forced to withdraw from last year’s world championships to have surgery to correct a heart problem.
But the mental break he received may have been just as beneficial, with the South Australian admitting he had struggled to come to terms with the glare of the spotlight after becoming an Olympic champion at just 18.
“It probably did get to me a little,” Chalmers said.
“There was really a rollercoaster ride. I won an Olympic gold medal at 18 years old and the stuff that came with that was something I never even thought would happen.
“I had lots of guest speaking roles and I was doing those two to three times a week and trying to train and travel and I guess I just burnt out a bit.
“So having that time where I could do my own thing and just be Kyle for a while, it was cool to experience that and it motivated me to get back in the pool and made me realise that there are so many great things that come with sport.
“I’ve just got to control myself now. There’s always going to be highs and lows in the sport and if I’ve learnt that at such a young age, it hopefully means I can have a long career.”
Chalmers will need to be near the top of his game at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre today just to make it through the heats of the 200m freestyle in one of the deepest fields in Australian history.
With no semi-finals at the Games trials, the pace will be on in the heats and some of the favourites are going to miss tonight’s final. “You’ve got Dave McKeon, who’s ranked 11th, who’s one of our best 200m freestylers, and Cam (McEvoy) is right down the order as well,’’ Chalmers said.
“So the morning is going to be very fast heats, probably the fastest we’ve seen in the history of Australian 200m freestyle.
“I’m going to have to be on it and hopefully I can qualify for a final.”
Chalmers finished second to Mack Horton at last year’s nationals, the 1500m specialist a surprise winner as the field went out slowly in a tactical race.