Kyle Chalmers’ Paris Butterfly Dream Hatches Re-Think On World Champs; Kaylee McKeown Sizzles

FLIGHT CHANGE IN PLANS: Kyle Chalmers having second thoughts and might just fly to Budapest afterall Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Kyle Chalmers Paris Butterfly Dream Hatches Re Think On Budapest World Championship Plan

Kyle Chalmers dream to swim at the Paris 2024 Olympics in butterfly could well be the telling factor that will see him reverse his decision and declare himself available to swim at this year’s World Swimming Championships in Budapest next month.

MAN ON A MISSION: Kyle Chalmers enters the ring. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Chalmers second place finish under the World Championship qualifying time in the 100m on night one of the Australian Championships and his win in another qualifying time in tonight’s 50m butterfly final has led to his change of heart.

A decision that could well thwart Cody Simpson’s chance of stepping up from his third placed finish in the 100m butterfly to fill Chalmers place as the second butterflyer on the team, Chalmers describing swimming as: “A cut throat sport. You have to finish in the top two to get the individual spot and it’s my dream to be a butterflyer.

“Eight weeks ago I wasn’t swimming (at all) I think it would have been disrespectful to say I was going to the World Championships in the butterfly so for me to get back in the pool was big.

“I (swam the butterfly) to take the pressure and expectation off myself and doing the butterfly is going back to my roots

“It’s an event I started just to have some fun and freshen the mind up a little bit and enjoy swimming for what it is..

“I started out as a butterflyer and I’ve always hoped to be a butterflyer but my body hasn’t always allowed me to do as much to this point.

“But my body is finally going ok and like Isaid I want to swim the ‘fly in Paris and (if so) I’ve got to start practicing and getting myself ready to do that.

FULL FLIGHT: Kyle Chambers chases butterfly dream. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

“Last year was a big year and it’s been a big five years; it’s good to re-set the mind and have some fun with it this year and do some butterfly and I think it will compliment my freestyle quite a lot for me.

“I didn’t expect to be swimming this fast after six weeks of training but my shoulders are feeling good which is good and I’d love to be part of the team.

“Obviously you work so hard and sacrifice a lot to represent Australian so I’ve cemented my spot on the team now so we’ll see what happens over the next little period.”

Moving forward, Chalmers said it fitted his program a lot better than the 200 freestyle, with the butterfly complimenting his 100m freestyle.

Men’s 200m Breaststroke

Zac Stubblety-Cook (Chandler, QLD) 2:05.95 (World Record) Q

Matthew Wilson (SOPAC, NSW) 2:10.14 Q

Adam Selwood 2:13.68

Zac WR

WORLD RECORD SMILE: Zac Stubblety-Cook just 2 minutes 05.95 seconds after he dived in. Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Fast par: Australia’s Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook (pictured right in the WR moment by Delly Carr) is the toast of the swimming world tonight having smashed the world record in the 200m breaststroke in a stunning 2:05.95 (1:01.89) setting the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre alight in Adelaide. The 23-year-old from Brisbane was 0.17 under the previous mark of 2:06.12 set by Russian Anton Chupkov at the 2019 World Championships.

Women’s 100m Butterfly

Brianna Throssell (USC Spartans, QLD) 57.31 Q

Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 58.39

Gemma Cooney (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 58.93

Fast par: Brianna Throssell’s win gives her a second National title after her 200m butterfly win last year, as she seeks to defend that crown here too – making her mark straight away after her move tom QLD from WA, with team mate Alexandria Perkins only a touch outside the QT. Hopefully a place as the second butterfly may see her in Budapest and Birmingham.

Men’s 50m Butterfly

Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) 23.21pb Q

William Yang (Loreto Normanhurst, NSW) 23.50 Q

Isaac Cooper (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 23.53 Q

Fast par: Kyle Chalmers personal best time of 23.21 elevates him to fourth fastest Australian behind Matt Targett, Andrew Lauterstein and Geoff Huegill. And it could just be the extra trigger that will see Chalmers in a change of strokes for the Budapest World Championships and may leave Cody Simpson pondering “what if” and setting himself for the Commonwealth Games.

THAT’S MORE LIKE IT: Chelsea Hodges back in the fast lane. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Women’s 50m Breaststroke

Chelsea Hodges (Southport, QLD) 30.15

Jenna Strauch (Miami, QLD) 30.82 Q;

Mia O’Leary (Bond, QLD) 31.31

Fast par: Tokyo Olympian Chelsea Hodges established a new Australian record taking just 0.01 off the 2009 National mark set by Sarah Katsoulis in 2009. Hodges was a disappointed third placed finisher in the 100m last night and was determined to atone tonight and no better way than with a new Australian record.

Men’s 200m Freestyle

Zac Incerti (Marion, SA) 1:45.80 Q Chelsea Hodges (Southport) 30.15 (Australian Record) Q;

Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:46.01 Q

Mack Horton (Griffith University, QLD) 1:46.70 Q

Flynn Southam (Bond Swimming, QLD) 1:46.82 Q

Sam Short (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 1:47.35

Charlie Hawke (Hunter, NSW) 1:47.50

Matt Temple (Marion, SA) 1:47.73

Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:47.96

MARION MAN: Zac Incerti nails the 200m free. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

Fast Par: Zac Incerti earns his first major individual freestyle swim, holding on to beat the finishing 400m winner Elijah Winnington as Mack Horton joins the podium again after his bronze medal swim in the 400m. An eye-catching swim from Flynn Southam who has landed himself a spot on his first major Games team at just 16 – finishing fourth and under the qualifying time. With a shout out to 8^th placed Kai Taylor, the talented 18-year-old son of Olympic and Commonwealth Games legend Hayley Lewis.

Women’s 400m Individual Medley

Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 4:31.74 Q (Second fastest all-time Australian)

Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:36.77 Q

Kiah Melverton (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:39.78

Fast Par: Stunning swim from Kaylee McKeown as she clocks the second fastest time ever by an Australian with her 4:31.74 – just 0.28 outside Stephanie Rice’s 2008 Australian all-comers record and just over three seconds outside Rice’s Commonwealth and Australian records. McKeown declaring she would definitely race the 400IM in Birmingham and was yet to decide on the World Championships campaign. And a delighted Jenna Forrester, clocking a three second pb and a place on her first World’s and Commonwealth team, jumping up the rankings as the fifth fastest all-time Australian.

Women’s 50m Backstroke

Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 27.46pb Q

Bronte Job (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 27.62pb Q

Minna Atherton (Bond Swimming) 28.31

Fast par: “Mollie O” strikes her second gold in two nights, after winning the 100m freestyle in the world’s fastest time this year, the SPW star swims another pb and the third fastest time ever by an Australian with her 27.46. A time only ever bettered by Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown (27.16) and three time worlds champion and four-time Olympian Emily Seebohm (27.37). With silver medallist Bronte Job’s pb of 27.62 ranking her the 7^th fastest on the all time Australian list.

Catch up with all the results here:

https://liveresults.swimming.org.au/sal/2022AUS/

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