ADELAIDE, June 8 — Champion Australian swimmer Kyle Chalmers said today he wants to keep going until the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, with new 50m events added to the programme a major incentive.
The 26-year-old previously suggested the Paris Olympics last year was his third and last, but he now plans to push on.
It follows World Aquatics in April adding 50m backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly to the agenda for the first time at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Chalmers is best known as a freestyler, but is also a formidable butterfly swimmer.
“The new 50s format will keep me swimming until Brisbane 2032,” he said on the eve of bidding to make his fifth world championship team at the Australian trials in Adelaide.
“I am in the very best position I’ve been in a very long time. My body is feeling good. And I’ve been swimming some really fast times. I can see myself swimming until Brisbane 2032.”
Previously, only freestyle was raced over the sport’s shortest distance at the Olympics, despite all four strokes being on the world championship schedule.
Chalmers won 100m freestyle gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and silver at the next two Games.
Should he make the podium again in Los Angeles, he will be the first man to win 100m medals at four consecutive Olympics.
“LA is a massive target of mine,” admitted Chalmers, who has reaped nine Olympic and 12 world championship medals and has been revitalised by changing coaches this year.
He clocked 47.27 seconds over 100m in Norway in April—his fourth-fastest time ever—and followed it up with a personal best 21.78 in the 50 free.
A week later, he set a new best of 22.89 in the 50m butterfly.
The Australian swimming trials run from June 9-14 ahead of the world championships in Singapore in July. — AFP
