Australian swimming legend Jon Hendrick’s message to teen sensation Kyle Chalmers

AUSTRALIA’S first Olympic 100m freestyle champion Jon Henricks has a message for teenage swimming sensation Kyle Chalmers.

Australia's Kyle Chalmers after the medal ceremony for the men’s 100 freestyle.

AUSTRALIA’S first Olympic 100m freestyle champion Jon Henricks has a message for Kyle Chalmers: welcome to the club.

Speaking from his home in the US after his morning swim, 81 year-old Henricks couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice as he relived Chalmers’ spectacular performance in becoming only the fourth Australian to win Olympic swimming’s blue riband event.

“He was absolutely fabulous, wasn’t he?” the Henricks, the 1956 winner shouted down the phone.

“Apart from the fact that he’s about ten yards faster than I ever was, he swam exactly the kind of race that I swam. He let them kill themselves and then gobbled them up. It was such a pleasure to watch.”

Jon Hendricks in circa 1956. Pic: Swimming F/L Australia's First Century Historical

By coming from second last to first in the last 50m, 18 year-old Adelaide schoolboy Chalmers has joined Henricks, John Devitt — who was a close second to Henricks in Melbourne but went one better four years later in Rome — and 1984 winner Michael Wenden in one of Australian sport’s most exclusive clubs.

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“As the founding member I welcome him to the club,” Henricks said. “John Devitt has already congratulated him, and Michael Wenden and I are going to get in touch.”

Henricks watched the race on television at his home in Santa Barbara with his wife Bonnie and some close friends. He said he was on his feet and screaming at the screen as Chalmers mowed down the leaders in the final few metres.

“It’s a wonder the TV is still in one piece,” he said. “We had a little dinner party. A bottle of wine or two might have been consumed. It was an absolute joy.

“It’s been a long time coming but now we have enough for a relay team.”

Kyle Chalmers of Australia celebrates winning gold in the Men's 100m freestyle final.

He said it had been a long and at times frustrating 48 year wait between gold medals; Mark Stockwell going down to a suspiciously fast-starting American Rowdy Gaines in 1984 being especially painful.

“I was shouting ‘he broke, he broke’ but he got away with it,” he said. “Then we came so close the last few times, but this young Chalmers was just wonderful.”

Henricks, who was 21-years-old when he won the gold medal in a time of 57.3, said he was in awe of today’s swimmers.

“In my day we didn’t think anyone would ever swim 50 seconds,” he said.

“We thought the human body wasn’t capable of doing it; now they swim 47 seconds. It is mind-boggling, but the thing is that Kyle is just beginning.

“He is going to do so much more. I’m sure of it. He’s just a kid.”