Australian Olympian Kyle Chalmers has undergone shoulder surgery this week to address a nagging injury that rendered him out of the 2021 FINA Short Course Championships.
Per his Instagram, Chalmers said, “Another successful surgery, thanks all for the love and support! Back on top soon.”
As we reported just over a week ago, the 23-year-old freestyle ace pulled out of Abu Dhabi, citing it as a devastating decision.
“I’ve been swimming well and was looking forward to turning it on in Abu Dhabi but it’s going to have to wait another year.”
Chalmers broke the longstanding short course meters 100 freestyle World Record while competing in the FINA World Cup this season, producing an eye-popping 44.84.
It’s important to note that Chalmers has had a series of heart surgeries since earning 100m free Olympic gold at the 2016 Games in Rio, all addressing his Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT). He also underwent left shoulder surgery in November 2020 before taking Olympic silver in the same event in Tokyo this summer, though the shoulder to which he is referring now is his right shoulder.
“I’m hungrier than ever to get the gold in Paris 2024,” says Chalmers, as motivation to address this shoulder issue now.
Training volume and technique needs an overhaul ?
Chalmers: “well, this was my frequent visitors freebie”
He will surely drop 47 seconds lower at the 2022 World Championship selection meeting as he did in 2019.
For some reason, if he performs shoulder surgery, the next season seems to be the best.
He didn’t have a shoulder surgery before 2019.
But he did have heart surgery in 2017. And then again in 2019.
I know he had mentioned maybe retiring after Tokyo years ago but I’m glad to see he’s still going for 2024, it’d be amazing to see what a healthy chalmers could throw down without an interrupted preparation. I love Dressel and I’m glad we’ll get to see a few more head to head matches between the two of them
This MF gonna be a cyborg swimming a 45 second 100 free with a metal arm by Paris 2024
How many times are we going to see a smiling Chalmers in a hospital bed after surgery? Too many times for the poor guy. Hope he can get to 100% and stay there through Paris.
If there’s anything that’s positive to take away from this he said in an interview that the shoulder he had done last year is fine now so hopefully this surgery on his other shoulder will be just as successful and he’ll have two healthy shoulders going forward. He also said they’d known even before Tokyo that this second surgery was likely.
Shoulder history very concerning.
I fear his career will not be a long one, but hopefully burn hot and shine bright!