Kyle Chalmers Hit With Back Spasms Leading Up To Aussie Olympic Trials (Day 4 Quotes)

2024 AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS

Day 4 of the 2024 Australian Olympic Trials once again brought the heat, with the likes ofย Kyle Chalmers, Kaylee McKeown andย Ariarne Titmus back in the pool.

For 25-year-old freestyle ace Chalmers, he punched a winning effort of 47.75 to qualify for the men’s 100m sprint, adding his name to his 3rd Aussie Olympic roster. However, he was quicker at April’s Open Championships, putting up a time there of 47.63.

Chalmers has had his share of adversity in the past, including overcoming shoulder surgery and multiple heart surgeries. This time around, the now-Ash Delaney-trained superstar was dealing with bulging discs and spasms leading up these all-important Trials.

โ€œI’ve been doing some landscape laboring up on the Sunny Coast and I decided I wouldn’t go to work on the Friday and I’d rest for Trials and kind of just spent a day laying on the couch which my body’s clearly not used to, and got pretty stiff,” Chalmers toldย Swimming Australia.

โ€œAnd then Saturday morning I tried to do a dive and it just all spasm and locked up so I saw physios and doctors and the best thing I could do was to get four cortisone in my lower back and try to get moving again. A really hard thing to go through so close to trials, it makes you change your stroke completely.

“I have got bulging discs in my back and a bit of a degenerative spine … it just all spasmed and locked up,” he said.

“I have put on a pretty brave face.”

Kaylee McKeown, Women’s 200m Back Gold Medalist

“To be honest with you, I’m just happy to still be swimming around that time [2:03.30], not many people in the world are doing that at the moment.

“You’re putting your heart on the line, you’ve done months worth of hard training … and you just want to do yourself proud.

“And with that comes nerves unfortunately.

“I just want to enjoy this Olympics, last time I was probably a bit too young to enjoy it. So this time around, I’m just looking to go there and put my best foot forward.”

Callum Simpson –ย  S8 Men 100m Freestyle Multi Classย 

โ€œIโ€™m feeling very pumped, very pumped for that swimโ€ฆ an excellent result so Iโ€™m very happy with it.

โ€œThereโ€™s room for improvement that I reckon I can work on for Paris. Iโ€™m looking forward to seeing what Paris holds for me.”

William Petric, Men’s 200m IM Gold Medalist

โ€œYeah, it’s annoying [missing the qualifying time] but you know Australia has always had tremendous success overseas and the QT must have something to do with it. I don’t want to go there and not make a final, I want to go make a final so hitting that QT instills that confidence I can make finals overseas.โ€

Rachel Watson, S3 Womenโ€™s 100m Freestyle Multi Classย 

โ€œIโ€™m really excited, it gives me a lot of confidence going into Paris. The 100 free is the first time Iโ€™ve had this event on the Paralympic program so Iโ€™m really excited to have another eventย  that I hope to do well in.”

Ariane Titmus , Womenโ€™s 800m Free Gold Medalist

โ€œI just really lost my legs. In the form that I’m in, I truly thought I had a chance to swim in a great 800 and doing a PB. It’s just something that it’s an event and it’s really hard to pace well and get right. I know I’m better than that, but at least I get the chance to do it again at the Olympics.

โ€œAt the end of the day, I did my job this week, I’ve got all the races I want to perform in Paris.โ€

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Beginner Swimmer at 25
4 months ago

The Aussie men seem to have had a gentlemen’s agreement on a taper…. weak sauce… no obstacles to go through unlike US Trials

As for Chalmers the back spasm thing is a typical tactic before a big meet in order to keep his competitors off guard. Dude went 47.6 a couple months ago and has had surgery almost every year for the past 8 years, however they were all minor and only involve some kind of injection. Aussie doctors are cooking something in order for him get exemptions and loopholes to be able to transfer something through the bloodstream.

Chalmers has been going out faster in his in season swims and went out here 22.81 un-tapered. In Tokyo and Gwangju… Read more ยป

DK99
4 months ago

4 cortisone for Chalmers… so another TUE to go with his 12 cortisone for his shoulder in Tokyo…

Beginner Swimmer at 25
Reply to  DK99
4 months ago

It’s PRP and stem cell injections ๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿงช๐Ÿ’ช

Last edited 4 months ago by Beginner Swimmer at 25
Jeah
4 months ago

So he has a job as a landscaper? Need to know more about this story.

Beginner Swimmer at 25
Reply to  Jeah
4 months ago

Yeah right an olympic athlete is doing labor work 2 months before the Olympics ๐Ÿคฃ

Joel
Reply to  Beginner Swimmer at 25
4 months ago

He does.

Greg P2
4 months ago

What is the situation regarding the 4×100 Free? Iโ€™m assuming top 4 are in. Probably top 5 right? But Cody and Temple were faster in the B final than Incerti. Whats the proceder there? Top6 of A final? Or Top 4 and maybe 1 or 2 relay swimmers at the discretion of Swimming Australia?

Does anybody knows?

Here Comes Lezak
4 months ago

I understand. My pet parrot died when I was nine and thatโ€™s the reason I wasnโ€™t in the top six for the 100 free at Aussie Trials.

Well that, and also not seriously training for the past three years at all.

Also because Iโ€™m an American.

But definitely mostly the parrot thing.

Robbos
Reply to  Here Comes Lezak
4 months ago

Don’t worry Americans like Dressel & Simone Manual also has reasons of not performing their best.

Here Comes Lezak
Reply to  Robbos
4 months ago

I โ€œhasโ€ reasons too like grieving the passing of my parrot, Wingston Churchill.

Also ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ f yeah!

Outside Smoke
4 months ago

Dude was still doing landscaping work this close to Olympic Trials?!

Jeah
4 months ago

Never seen a swimmer who gets so many different kinds of injuries. Amazing that he is able to perform the way he does with at least 1-2 different injuries every year

TNM
Reply to  Jeah
4 months ago

Makes me wonder if we have ever seen peak Chalmers. Meaning he had an excellent training season with no injuries.

Last edited 4 months ago by TNM
Hank
4 months ago

I am glad he has a good excuse for swimming slow. Doesnโ€™t say much for Australian menโ€™s sprinting that he was off his game and no one else was even close to him. Those guys are going to eat American arse in Paris.

About Retta Race

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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