“It’s great they have given an exemption to the gold medal victor to the four majors”, said reigning Masters champion Danny Willett, among this week’s favorites.
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He became the youngest victor of the men’s 100m freestyle gold medal in 36 years but his joy was tempered by the fact his teammate Cameron McEvoy finished seventh.
Kyle Chalmers has the guts to take on the fastest swimmers on Earth and win, as evidenced by the gold medal for the 100m freestyle now hanging around his neck, but there is one thing that makes him too nervous to function: the sight of Kevin Durant.
Chalmers, who won the race with a time of 47.58, edged past Belgian Pieter Timmers and US star Nathan Adrian, who finished in the silver and bronze places, respectively.
Chalmers’ name is on everybody’s lips – at the Rio pool, in Australia, around the swimming world.
Jacco Verhaeren said McEvoy was fine physically but may have suffered mentally before his disappointing swim in the 100m freestyle.
“But I’m pretty confident he can deal with that”.
Verhaeren made a phone call to Chalmers previous year when the South Australian was tossing up between pursuing a swimming or AFL career.
“It’s very exciting but it’s hard in this situation because my teammate Cameron McEvoy has looked after me all week and I’ve roomed with him”, said Chalmers.
“And of course he’s passionate for AFL”.
“I’m very happy with tonight’s execution of the race”, said Chalmers, who won the world junior title a year ago but has soared up the rankings to reach the pinnacle of the sport. I think you see the same in athletics.
According to dad Brett, a former AFL player who played for the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide, Kyle is the driving force behind his own success.
“There’s a certain point in your career when you have to choose”, Verhaeren said.
“All grandma will say is that you can be a swimmer first and then a footballer, but not a footballer and then a swimmer”.
“It’s so easy to get up and swim fast when you’re swimming for three other people”. For example, you need flexible ankles [for swimming], which is not great for playing AFL anyway. Down the other end I could see all the Aussies in the coaching stand and they were going mental for me so that was an awesome thing to watch. And he will, he’s a great young athlete.
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“It’s not an excuse because you have got to have a way and an art of dealing with that and getting on with the job”.
