2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Swimming: August 6-13
- Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Barra Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro
- Prelims – 9:00 a.m/12:00 p.m PST/EST (1:00 p.m local), Finals – 6:00 p.m/9:00 p.m PST/EST (10:00 p.m local)
- SwimSwam previews
- Rio Schedule & Results
- Live Stream (NBC)
It’s not a surprise that Australia’s 48-year drought in the men’s 100 freestyle has ended, but it is a surprise who ended it.
18 year-old Kyle Chalmers came into this meet like a man on a mission, posting two very fast relay splits in the men’s 400 free relay followed by three successive world junior records in the 100 freestyle, culminating with his gold medal performance tonight in a time of 47.58.
Characteristic to the style 2012 silver medalist James Magnussen used to swim this race, Chalmers turned at the 50 metre wall in 7th. He stormed home in a ridiculous 24.44, just two one-hundredths shy of Magnussen’s closing speed in his best swim ever back in March of 2012.
Magnussen managed to improve his front-end speed by four tenths of a second from 2011 to 2012, something that could push Chalmers towards the 47-second barrier later in his career.
The man who was expected to end the 48-year drought was Cameron McEvoy, who set an all-time textile best at the Aussie Trials in April of 47.04. What happened to him in this final is a mystery, as he ended up 7th after being the big favorite coming in. It’s the second straight night we’ve seen the #1 ranked swimmer in the world coming into the meet place 7th, after Laszlo Cseh did it in the 200 fly yesterday.
Chalmers swim is a new world junior record, breaking his semi-final record of 47.88. It’s also another Australian age group record, again breaking his own record.
Australia’s previous men’s 100 free winner was Michael Wenden all the way back in 1968. Both Magnussen in 2012 and McEvoy this year were the ones expected to finally bring the race back to the South, but alas it is the teenager Chalmers.
extremely talented, will be interesting to see how things turn out in the next few years. Stay injury free, and keep things fresh and exciting or else he will turn out to be like Magnussen and Roberts. Who remembers when magnussen went 47.10 and Roberts was on his heels at 47.5? Since then though both have been in a slow decline due to injury and motivation
If he can just stay injury free…he can clearly get better. Sullivan and Magnussen were both driven out by injuries before their time. Be careful with Chalmers Australia Swimming!
Are intermediate splits posted for individual races? If they are, i cannot find them. For instance, i am interested in seeing Katie Ledecky’s last 50 split of her 200.
Think you will find it is Michael Wenden, not Robert Wenden
Thanks…don’t where I got Robert from. Updated.
Chalmers, what a LEGEND!!!!! The fastest swimmer in the world!!!!!
Restoring a little bit of pride for the Aussies.
Just amazing. He progressively cuts away at his best to go 47.5 and takes the gold. I thought he was a chance for a minor medal before the games. Everyone here in Australia knows who he is now.
Yup, went through a number of recalibrations of his prospects through this meet.
Going in, I thought “good chance of final and sub48”. After 4×100; recalibrate to “make that near certain final, change that sub48 to probable, medal possible”. Heats “make that very strong medal chance, outside chance of gold”. Semis = “make that likely medal, dammit he’s a very real chance of winning the damned thing !”
A lot of swimmers getting sick
Savage………Enough said.
Boy did McEvoy lay an egg.