Kyle Chalmers Blazed 47.63 100 Free After Ankle Surgery From (Another) Aussie Football Injury

2024 AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, April 17th – Saturday, April 20th
• Prelims at 10am local (8pm previous night ET), Finals at 6pm local (4am ET)
• Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Queensland, Australia
• LCM (50m)
• Non-Olympic Qualifying Event
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After clocking a 47.63 100 freestyle at the Australian Open Championships on Saturday, Kyle Chalmers told reporters that he underwent a full ankle surgery in December to address three torn ligaments suffered while playing Australian Rules Football (AFL) last September. The 25-year-old became the fourth-fastest 100 freestyler in the world this season even with a tightrope and screws still in his right ankle.

Despite being just four months removed from the surgery, Chalmers clocked a sub-48 second 100 free for the first time at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, much faster than his 48.00 from this time last year. His previous season-best time was 48.15 from December’s Japan Open, a mark he beat in prelims at 48.08.

The last time Chalmers suffered an Australian Rules Football ankle injury the year before the Olympics, he went on to win a gold medal in Rio back in 2016 at 18 years old. He made an under-the-radar XVIII AFL debut for Immanuel College back in the spring of 2015, but he left within the first five minutes with a broken wrist and torn ankle ligaments. The teen tried to conceal his ankle injury for a few weeks from his swim coaches before finally getting treated with cortisone injections to ease the ankle swelling and a plastic cast for his wrist.

In addition to recovering from his surgery in December, Chalmers has also faced an unexpected challenge this year with his coaching situation. He moved to Queensland to train under former Olympian Ashley Delaney after his coach Peter Bishop was stood down by the South Australia Institute of Sport and had his coaching accreditation revoked.

Nevertheless, Chalmers posted lifetime bests in the 50 free (21.98) and 50 fly (23.10) this week along with his impressive 47.63 100 free. Only Alessandro Miressi (47.61), Chris Giuliano (47.49), and world record holder Pan Zhanle (46.80) have been quicker than Chalmers in the 100 free this season. His best 100 free time stands at 47.08 from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Chalmers also offered a preview of the 100 free at the Paris Olympics this summer, saying he’s training his best to go sub-47 seconds for the first time when it matters most.

“There’s a few guys going 46 now and it’s something that I’ve chased for a very long time, but I think, as I’ve progressed in my swimming career, it’s not necessarily about time, it’s more about the result,’’ Chalmers said. “You reflect on previous Olympic champions and what is remembered is who won the race rather than what time they swam and I pride myself on, no matter who I’m racing against, lifting to their time or their standard. If guys are swimming 46 seconds that’s what I’m going to have to do to win, so that’s what I’m training my best for.”

“I think it will be very fast and it will be race that will be remembered for a very long time,” he added. “You’ve got a former world record-holder (David Popovici), a world record-holder (Pan), a former Olympic champion in Caeleb Dressel and myself as a former Olympic champion, all in the one race. I think it’s going to be a special race and I really hope to be part of it.’’