Aussie swim legend cashing in on fresh feelings
Kyle Chalmers has never felt this way before.
"It has been a long time since my body has felt this good, if ever, in my career," the big fish of Australian swimming said.
Six months after thinking he'd quit swimming, Chalmers' extraordinary career has hit yet another height.
On Thursday night at Australia's selection trials for the looming world titles, he clocked his fastest 100m freestyle on home soil - 47.29 seconds.
That's quicker than his 2016 Olympic gold swim in the event (47.58); faster than his silver medal at last year's Olympics (47.48).
And he's now setting sights on his personal best of 47.08, achieved twice - including when winning Olympic silver in 2021 in Tokyo.
Just how is Chalmers, a fortnight shy of his 27th birthday on June 25, defying an age when many swimmers start treading water?
His answer is two-fold: mental and physical.
"I'm just extremely happy," Chalmers said.
"I have got ... a fiancee who's incredible, I'm preparing to be a dad, living on a farm.
"There's so many amazing things going on outside of the pool that it allows me to just come here and have fun."
Chalmers has won a mind-boggling 74 international medals, including nine at the Olympics; a dozen at world championships; nine more at Commonwealth Games.
His legend is assured.
"I'm not here with pressure and expectation. Anything I achieve from this point is just icing on the cake of my career," Chalmers said.
Then, he added his second reason: "I'm not injured at the moment either."
Chalmers has had heart surgery, three times, for a non-life threatening condition which caused a rapid heartbeat.
He's had shoulder operations; lower back problems requiring repeated cortisone injections; ankle surgery after being hurt playing Australian Rules football in September 2023.
"That injury was probably the worst of them all," he said.
"I fully snapped all the ligaments holding my lower leg bones together, it was a terrible injury."
But now? When was the last time he physically felt as good?
"Probably 2020," he said, before fact-checking himself.
"Actually, that's a lie. I had my lower back problems before that - I had about six cortisones in my back in the lead in to 2020.
"Then my shoulders went on me.
"Those five years through to Paris last year were very challenging."
Even when Chalmers burst to fame as an 18-year-old by winning Olympic gold in 2016, he was hurting.
"Even then, I was having problems with growth spurts so I was cramping and growing and in pain," he said.
"Now, I'm just doing whatever I want to do and it seems to be working.
"I've seen the physio twice this whole year compared to the lead up to Tokyo (Olympics of 2021) when I was seeing a physio every single day, if not twice a day.
"It has been an amazing turnaround and I'm stoked my body is feeling this good.
"And that's why I want to capitalise on it while I can, because I know it's not going to feel this good forever."
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