After firing a warning shot, South Australian young gun Kyle Chalmers now has swimming’s biggest names in his sights after upstaging Australian teammate Cameron McEvoy in the Rio Olympic 100m freestyle heats overnight, Australian time.
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I am so proud to be a medalist for two Olympiads.”For Australia, a country known more for its distance freestylers, Chalmers became the first 100 free champion since Michael Wenden at Mexico City in 1968″.
Chalmers said he had not been aware of the length of Australia’s decades-long wait for another 100m title.
“I think it’s very special [winning the 100 metre freestyle]”.
Well, someone never had this discussion with Kyle Chalmers, the Australian youngster now a sporting hero in his homeland. Now that he’s an Olympic champion, he’s likely to have the same impact Durant did on him to someone else sometime very soon. As his opposition started to fight fatigue, Chalmers was feeling good, evident in the 24.44 split he delivered over the final lap.
Coming into this event with the second fastest time in the world for the year, McEvoy looked his usual speedy self and managed to take out his heat in a time of 21.80 seconds. “I flew under the radio at the trials, I stayed away from the media and just did my own thing”.
“I’m just hoping for a best time”.
When asked what he thought he could get out of the 50m freestyle, McEvoy said he wants to enjoy it.
American Josh Prenot, who came into the Games atop the 2016 world rankings, was second in 2:07.53 and Russia’s Anton Chupkov was third in 2:07.70.
Australia’s Madeline Groves led at halfway, holding on for silver in 2:04.88, as Japan’s Natsumi Hoshi claimed a bronze medal in 2:05.20.
“Not the best. My preparation was really good all year round and it was really just a little (off) the last week or so, I imagine, which is probably where I’ve been thrown a little bit off”.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of people about it, the amount of support I’ve received not only from friends and family but the general public around the world and also my competitors, too – I was really surprised the amount of competitors who came up to me and spoke to me about it and were supporting me about it”, he said.
He said that before every race, he watches Durant’s Most Valuable Player speech and another video montage of the National Basketball Association star’s playing highlights, which has a “pretty cool song” in the background. I think it’s great he played the game because he no doubt had some benefits from developing who he is as well.
Large posters with the image of Kuwaiti shooter Fehaid al-Deihani clasping his gold medal hang in one of Kuwait’s most popular malls and government officials are praising his win in Rio, despite not playing for the Kuwaiti flag.
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Only one other swimmer in the race, Australia’s Emma McKeon, got within a second of Ledecky. “Hopefully, I can get back and pinpoint what went wrong”. “It’s unbelievable, I’m only 18”.
