Kyle Chalmers Withdraws From 2017 World Championships

Swimming Australia has announced that 2016 100 freestyle Olympic gold medalist Kyle Chalmers has made the decision to withdraw from this summer’s upcoming World Championships, opting to focus on his long-term career.

Chalmers, who added a pair of relay bronzes to his 100 free gold last summer in Rio, will take the time off to enable him and his medical team to further look into his heart condition, known as Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT).

The decision was a difficult one, with his doctor Peter Bishop and Australia’s National Head Coach Jacco Verhaeren both involved in the process.

On making the tough decision, Bishop said, “We decided it was in Kyle’s best long term interest to get the surgery done sooner rather than later. This will enable Kyle a good recovery period, before preparing for a home Commonwealth Games in 2018”.

Verhaeren reiterated that the health of the athlete is the main concern, and that with this being the first year of the Olympic cycle, it’s the perfect time to take time off if needed.

“We are at the beginning of a new Olympic cycle, and for some of our athletes we need to look at longevity to allow them to stay at the highest level for longer. For some that may mean having more of a focus on study, a different season planning with other competitions, or the chance to follow up a niggling injury or medical issue and then comeback refreshed and revitalised when it is right for them”.

“Kyle has our full support and we know he will use this time away from competition positively and to his advantage to return for a home Commonwealth Games in 2018 and beyond,” Verhaeren said.

The withdrawal from Chalmers adds to the list of Aussies who won’t be competing in Budapest, with Cate CampbellJames MagnussenTamsin Cook and Madeline Groves all out of the Championships as well.

Chalmers qualified for Budapest in the 100 freestyle after taking 2nd at the Trials behind Cameron McEvoy. The decision on who replace Chalmers will be made internally by Swimming Australia and announced shortly. Jack Cartwright, who placed 3rd in the event at Trials and was named to the team for the relay, is the likely choice.

Chalmers will have surgery in the coming weeks.

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Aussie crawl
7 years ago

Speedy recovery king Kyle.
Caleb & Nathan breathing a big sigh of relief for worlds.

bobo gigi
7 years ago

Bad news for next worlds. I think, as swim fans, we always want to see the best swimmers in the water. But health is the most important and I understand that Chalmers is cautious and thinks long term. He will come back stronger.

Widen
7 years ago

This is when someone has a real heart condition, you treat it instead of taking years’ of banned drugs. Wonder when Sun Yang is gonna have his treated.

G.I.N.A
Reply to  Widen
7 years ago

The meds Sun took were not banned until they were & we now know many use the TUE system to get past restrictions . PRC was simply not up on this trick .

Now to cover their embarassment thatt med is not even allowed under TUE. So how in 2 years can it go from ‘no worries dude ‘to ok via TUE to prohibited?

Nust as we had to wait for a cluster of deaths in young athletes from dDR high jumper to a USA volleyballer to understand Meyfahns is associated with ectomorphs .( My biologically unrelated died suddenly in the 80s & was retro diagnosed . His family now receive targeted check ups .

Ditto Sun &… Read more »

IMs for days
7 years ago

Especially at such a young age, health is way more important than swimming. He has a long Career ahead him, he shouldn’t risk it over 1 championship. This is the right choice.

Zemhaj
7 years ago

It’s a bold strategy cotton, let’s see how it plays out

Aquajosh
7 years ago

He doesn’t owe anyone anything, and regardless of what happens from here, he is the Olympic champion in the 100m free. No one will ever be able to take that away from him. His long term health is far more important than chasing further glories along a black line right now.

ELLIE
7 years ago

Hope things get on well. Some swimmers failed to return to their pre-surgery level (Magnussen, Agnel etc.). Let’s see what will happen with Chalmers

Emanuele
7 years ago

Oh, come on…
I’m really piss off with all these withdraw. No respect.

commonwombat
Reply to  Emanuele
7 years ago

How so ?? You may have a case with those who withdraw at the last minute when it is too late to nominate a replacement but in this case, there is a clear medical reason for doing so & its well before final nominations close so AUS can nominate a replacement for his indiv spot and, if they wish, for the 4×100 relay. As for the others listed in the article, all of them advised well ahead of Trials that they were not nominating for Worlds selection so how is that disrespectful ? They gave selectors due notice of their decision (whatever their reasons may’ve been) and only C1 swam at Nationals, so they were not robbing others of an… Read more »

Emanuele
Reply to  commonwombat
7 years ago

Yeah but I already booked my trip to Budapest and already bought the tickets last march (first and third day of the competition). So I have all the rights to be pissed off. Swimming it is an individual sport if the best talents withdraw like that all the competition get worse…

commonwombat
Reply to  Emanuele
7 years ago

Yes, but it was essentially YOUR decision to part with YOUR money. There is always going to be a significant “buyer beware” factor when buying tickets for major events so far ahead of time OR entering ballots for major event tickets (ie Olympic events). You are never going to have any real surety of who will actually qualify for their respective countries. In this case, how can you know precisely who may choose to retire post Olympics, who may take time out let alone who may get ruled out with health/injury. You have the right to feel disappointed, certainly, but if you feel that you have a right to assume WHO is going to be competing 15-18 months ahead of… Read more »

Emanuele
Reply to  commonwombat
7 years ago

So? I have not the right to be disappointed?
Btw the problem is not Chalmers’ withdraw (even if he is the 100m free Olympics champion) the problem is that the Aussies champions are withdrawing one after another, and it is not just them…

commonwombat
Reply to  Emanuele
7 years ago

You clearly did not read what I wrote but let me repeat it again “You have the right to feel disappointed” but you seem to exude an air of entitlement ….. that everyone is somehow obligated to turn up and compete despite whatever may have taken place in their lives during the intervening period. People ARE entitled to make their own life decisions whether it be their personal/sporting or even professional lives. As for these other AUS swimmers, to my mind they’ve done nothing at all unethical in making themselves unavailable for selection. These were NOT last minute withdrawals but announced well in ahead of AUS Trials (some much earlier). As it is, post Olympic years are generally transitional periods… Read more »

Emanuele
Reply to  commonwombat
7 years ago

Again, I understand, but shouldn’t be like that: LCWC is the second most important event in swimming, but some swimmer take this competition lightly.
Swimming is already a sport with few big stages and moment to shine, if even the world championship is snub this sport will never grow up.

I repeat, this has nothing to do with Chalmers situation, swimmer are pro (or they are paid by some national federation) and they should behave like that. In my mind this is not unetichal, is worst: is disrespectful.

commonwombat
Reply to  Emanuele
7 years ago

Excuse me but your understanding of the status of most international swimmers seems sketchy at best if not ill-informed. Putting aside the (nominally amateur) US collegiate system that feeds a large percentage of the US team and various swimmers from other nations; in most other nations the only time that swimmers are actually “under contract” to their national federations is after they have been selected for the specific meet through until the end of said meet.
Funding will vary from country to country but swimmer funding is often delivered not so much through the national federations but via other avenues. IF they are inactive for a year but have not announced retirement, that funding is reviewed and often cut.… Read more »

luigi
Reply to  Emanuele
7 years ago

You are so right, I think Chalmers himself should refund you out of his pocket for having the insolence to put his health before your money

Prickle
Reply to  luigi
7 years ago

LUIGI, whatever you and COMMONWOMBAT wrote is absolutely right. But there is some strange similarity with all these AUS withdrawals: all of them target Commonwealth Games in 2018. It sounds like an obvious preference. Don’t shame Hungarian for being disappointed that WC in Hungary may not be as excited as it could be. People who remember Moscow and LA Olympics withdrawals understand his feelings.

luigi
Reply to  Prickle
7 years ago

I do understand the feeling, Prickle, but, at least in Chalmers’ case, I think that speaking of “lack of respect” is unfair.
PS I doubt Emanuele is Hungarian; his name sounds quite Italian to me.

Prickle
Reply to  luigi
7 years ago

🙂 I don’t even know if it is “HE” or “SHE” uses such a pseudonym. But I trust your expert opinion. As usual. 🙂

commonwombat
Reply to  Prickle
7 years ago

Yes, I understand what you are saying but I think that you are making somewhat of a generalisation. Firstly, only C1 & Chalmers have actually swum competitively post Rio, the others have either been on “time outs” from the sport or at least serious traning or in one case, have relocated to the US for a year. As for CommGames, my thoughts on THAT event have been well and truly aired (and I personally think that AUS Swimming should DEprioroitise it) but although none have yet announced such an intention, it is highly likely that a number of AUS swimmers (prob including some v significant names and quite possibly some of those skipping Budapest) will be making it their farewell… Read more »

Mardo4
Reply to  Prickle
7 years ago

Hope Chalmers can heal and be back in the pool soon. I do wonder if the other withdrawals have to do with safety concerns…

Mardo4
Reply to  Mardo4
7 years ago

Oh I take it back..see other thoughts about it being a good time at beginning of Olympic cycle for other swimmers to retool/refresh. It did on surface seem like a lot of withdrawals

Torchbearer
Reply to  Emanuele
7 years ago

It is disappointing for us Aussies, but the year after the Olympics is a strange ‘dead zone’, and the right time to rest and refresh.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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