‘Amazing journey’: Cody Simpson reflects as Olympic fairytale falls short

The Hollywood script of former popstar Cody Simpson putting a lucrative music career on hold to chase an Olympic dream sadly did not end in glory.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 15: Cody Simpson of Queensland reacts after competing in the Men’s 100m Butterfly Final during the 2024 Australian Swimming Trials at Brisbane Aquatic Centre on June 15, 2024 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Cody Simpson now knows there are no fairytales in sport and especially not in swimming.

Just over an hour after Olympic great Cate Campbell suffered the heartbreak of missing a fifth Olympic Games team, it was Simpson’s turn to put it all on the line and fall agonisingly short.

The fact he came so close is remarkable in itself, but the Hollywood script of a former popstar putting a lucrative music career on hold to chase an Olympic dream sadly did not end in glory.

In the 100m butterfly final on Saturday night Simpson turned fifth and just could not close the gap on the leaders as Matt Temple won in 51.15 seconds, just ahead of Ben Armbruster in 51.23s.

Simpson had to settle for fifth place in 51.79s, behind Shaun Champion (51.40s) and Jesse Coleman (51.51s), as his Olympic dreams ended on the final night of the Olympic trials.

Temple had to wait until the last night of the Olympic trials to secure his Olympic selection, after earlier missing the 100m freestyle final where he had hoped to be part of the 4x100m freestyle relay team.

“I am proud of myself and I knew it was going to be a tight one tonight,” Simpson said.

Cody Simpson reacts after finishing fifth in the 100m Butterfly final. Picture: Getty Images

“I knew I was going to have to pull something out of myself but I was very close to my best swim. All you can do is all you can do which is a saying I quite like because what else can you do?

“But it’s been an amazing four-year journey having the privilege of swimming for Australia and winning medals internationally with the men’s relay and World Cups.

“It has been absolutely unbelievable. I gave everything I had this week and sometimes that is all you can do.”

The anxiety of the long wait was a bit easier for Temple, who was the most experienced campaigner on the blocks in the final.

“Lost for words, but I think my second Olympic Games trials it’s easier knowing what to expect,” Temple said.

“I didn’t expect that from the rest of the boys, so that is exciting. But pretty happy with that.

“I would have liked to go a bit quicker than that here, but it is what it is.

“Six weeks to knuckle down and have a crack and I am saving the rest for Paris.”

For Simpson, he must now live with the ultimate “what if” regret, knowing his heat swim in the 100m freestyle cost him a shot at the Olympic team.

Simpson was ninth in the heats, missing a chance to race the final where six of the eight finalists were to get picked for Paris.

About an hour after that A final, Simpson took to the blocks in the B final and swam a time that would’ve placed him sixth in that main race and been enough to make the team.

“I should have done that this morning. That was great, just a good lesson for the future I suppose, making sure I’m ready to go in the morning,” Simpson said after his freestyle performance.

“Obviously you’re always going to swim faster at night but it’s super promising. My coach will be giving me a slap up the side of his cheek.

“That was kind of the goal going into tonight, see if you can post a time that would have done something good in that A final because I didn’t get the chance so bittersweet for sure but I’m quite happy with that because I was hoping to get a 48 mid swim here and got it in.”

Originally published as ‘Amazing journey’: Cody Simpson reflects as Olympic fairytale falls short