2023 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – ATHENS
- Friday, October 13th – Sunday, October 15th
- Athens, Greece
- LCM (50m)
- Prelims 9:00am (EEST)/ 2:oo am (EDT)
- Finals 6:00 pm (EEST)/ 11:00 am (EDT)
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Australian singer-turned-swimmer Cody Simpson made his first international podium on Friday, tying Michael Andrew for the silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 51.92 at the second World Cup stop in Athens, Greece.
Unrested and unshaved, Simpson was within a couple tenths of his lifetime best (51.78) from last December’s Queensland Championships, and only a tenth shy of 100 fly champion Matt Sates (51.82). The 26-year-old improved on his 52.26 finals swim from the first World Cup stop last weekend that placed him 6th in Berlin, Germany.
“(My goal is to) just get faster every time,” Simpson said during his podium interview. “So far I’m able to do that incrementally. I’m over here for experience on the international stage. To be up here on a podium with these guys who I’ve loved their swimming for years is very cool.”
Simpson won two major international medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games — gold in the 400 freestyle relay and silver in the 400 medley relay — but he never got his time on the podium because he only swam during prelims (48.86 free split and 51.49 fly split). His first international medal in an individual event earned him his moment in the spotlight.
“Cool night racing some incredible fellas,” he later wrote on Instagram. “Garnering experience on the international stage and my first time on a podium. Finding some flow and was able to hit my fastest unshaved/rested 100m butterfly of my career so far, only a few tenths of a second off of my best. I am radically and unreservedly grateful for this journey.”
The performance is an encouraging sign for Simpson, who placed 5th in the 100 fly (52.23) at June’s Australian Trials after finishing 3rd (51.96) at the 2022 Aussie Trials. Although he appeared to take a slight step back earlier this year, he seemed undeterred in his quest to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics next summer.
“In pain there is progress, in discomfort there are diamonds,” Simpson posted to his 5.2 million Instagram followers in May.
Last month, he offered a glimpse of his progress with an SCM 100 fly win (50.60) over two-time Olympian David Morgan (50.76) along with a victory in the SCM 100 free (47.85) at the Australian Short Course Championships. Simpson trains at Griffith University with Michael Bohl, who also coaches Simpson’s girlfriend, Emma McKeon, Australia’s most decorated Olympian with 11 medals.
Simpson was a standout age-group swimmer in Australia, but he gave up the sport to pursue a career in music when he was 13 years old and moved to the United States the following year. He started training again in 2019 and soon qualified for the Australian Olympic Trials in 2021, placing 8th in the 100 fly.
MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL
- World Record: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel, United States (2021)
- World Cup Record: 51.04 – Chad le Clos, South Africa (2015)
- World Junior Record: 50.62 – Kristof Milak, Hungary (2017)
PODIUM:
- GOLD: Matt Sates (RSA) – 51.82
- SILVER: Michael Andrew (USA)/ Cody Simpson (AUS) – 51.92
That is a PB in 100 free right?
48.99
He is looking good so far
Yes it is! By 0.12.
6th at trials for the last 3 years has been 48.94, 49.12 and 49.12. So those numbers would suggest a relay spot is definitely in play.
However, we haven’t actually taken 6th on the team at all from what I can see (Roberts, Andrea and Andrea were 6th at the last 3 trials and I don’t believe they made the team). If we use 5th instead it’s 48.82, 49.11 and 48.65. So a relay spot is definitely possible but not guaranteed.
Swimmers who have been faster than Cody’s PB in the last few years are Chalmers, Southam, Cartwright, Giuliani, Taylor, Yang, Temple, Incerti, McEvoy, Graham, Andrea, Townsend and Lewis.
I hope Cody drops again… Read more »
He’s gonna need to be faster to get selected because that’s not fast enough to get us out of the 4×100 heats and that’s why sixth place has been left home those other years.
Wow good for him
Not the headline MA was hoping for but maybe it will boost his IG following.
Heck ya LFG 😎
Loving the way Cody is pursuing his dream. Whether or not he makes it to Paris, it’s been fun to watch him make progress.
It’s great having Michael Bohl over with the Griffith team. Looks like it’s most of the senior squad – McKeon one of the only ones left in Australia with Janelle!
Yeah, it’s always satisfying watching people who work hard to pursue their dream.
I hope he achieves his dream. What an incredible story. Certainly putting more eyes on our sport
Yep. That’s exactly what it’s doing. The sport needs him.
Congratulations. His Olympic dream is on good trajectory