Former Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers expressed his happiness after clocking 47.44 seconds to win the men's 100-meter freestyle final at the Australian trials qualifying for next month's World Championship. Chalmers, who won gold in this event at the Rio Olympics as a teenager and secured the silver medal in Tokyo 2021, took a mental health break last year. He is now working two days a week on a construction site in addition to his training, stating that at 24, his mental health has positively impacted his swimming.
After the race on Friday at Melbourne Sports Centre, he told reporters, "I enjoy a lot in the pool, but I enjoy more outside of it, which I think has greatly contributed to my success in the pool this year."
Chalmers' best achievement in the 100-meter event at the World Championships was winning a silver medal in the 2019 edition in South Korea, where he was behind American Caleb Dressel, who also claimed gold at the Tokyo Olympics. The Australian swimmer has a personal best time of 47.08 seconds, and he believes he is on track for the 100-meter final at the World Championship in Fukuoka, Japan, on July 27.
