From Surgery To The Top, Chalmers Takes 200 Free Title At Aussie Trials

SWIMMING AUSTRALIA OLYMPIC TRIALS

In November of last year, reigning 100m freestyle Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers was undergoing a procedure to ‘clean out’ his shoulder while tonight the 22-year-old South Aussie produced a big-time personal best to take the 200m free title at these Trials.

Since winning gold in Rio, Chalmers has undergone a series of surgeries to address his heart condition called Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) in addition to this latest. That paired with his November surgery could have sidelined any swimmer but this titan only appears to have gotten stronger, clocking a winning effort of 1:45.48 here in his home state of South Australia.

Bond’s Alex Graham, who logged the fastest time of the morning prelims in 1:45.22, tonight opened in 50.93, the fastest start of the field by nearly half a second before Marion’s Chalmers threw down 27.10/27.02 on the last 100m meters for a final time of 1:45.48 in a fierce battle to the wall.

Also surging ahead of Graham at the end were Elijah Winnington, the St. Peters Western weapon who already qualified handily in the mens’ 400m free here. Tonight, Winnington clocked 1:45.55 while 3rd went to 19-year-old Rackley teen Tommy Neill in 1:45.70.

Graham still made it onto the 4x200m free relay, however, settling for 4th in 1:45.71 while Mack Horton is on the bubble in 6th at 1:46.33.

Entering this meet, Chalmers’ lifetime best in this 2free rested at the 1:45.56 he threw down on the Gold Coast to take gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Tonight’s effort ranks as just the 3rd occasion on which the ace has even been under 1:46 so he chose the right time to put up something special.

We’ll see what Chalmers brings in the 100m freestyle on Tuesday.

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Bluebags
3 years ago

I hope Mack Horton does make the Australia Swimming team..

IM FAN
3 years ago

Bodes well for his 100 and his prospects of competing with Dressel. I’m consistently impressed by this man coming out on top in spite of all of the setbacks he’s faced.

What happened to Clyde Lewis? He went 1:44.9 in Gwangju but was out of the race…

Joris Bohnson
Reply to  IM FAN
3 years ago

He changed coach, should have stayed with Boxall

Fluidg
3 years ago

obvi, that Aussie 800 relay will be very very rough.

Gator
Reply to  Fluidg
3 years ago

I think you mean fast

Verram
3 years ago

Great pb time for Kyle but reality check is that the brits swam about a full second faster at their trials … I guess the Aussie boys just love to race each other than go for a time

Notanyswimmer
3 years ago

Dressel is done for. I guess Ryan Lochte is the only man with a good chance of getting a gold medal now.

Ice Age Swimmer
Reply to  Notanyswimmer
3 years ago

back under your bridge, troll

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Notanyswimmer
3 years ago

the new troll on the block has arrived guys ….keep away from him , he is not to be trusted

PFA
3 years ago

Bodes very well for the hundred although I wouldn’t be surprised if he went faster than most people think he will go rn or he just does what he needs to in order to get on in the hundred

Last edited 3 years ago by PFA

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Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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