Cody Simpson closing gap on his Olympic dream

Aussie pop star turned Olympic hopeful Cody Simpson is pulling the goal posts closer.

Aussie pop star turned Olympic hopeful Cody Simpson is pulling the goal posts closer.

Back training at his hometown on the Gold Coast, Simpson — who was accompanied for the first time by his US model girlfriend Marlowe Stephens — revealed he may move his international swimming debut closer than his projected goal of the 2024 Paris Olympics after making “more progress than I ever imagined”.

The 25-year-old said this year’s Australian Olympic qualifying meet in June may now be his target event after lopping seconds from his personal best for his event of the 100m butterfly.

The achievment comes just nine months after Simpson — better known more recently as ex-boyfriend to Miley Cyrus — embarked on a serious training regimen, having quit competitive swimming 11 years ago to focus on his music.

Cody Simpson leaves the pool after a training session. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Back in the water now under renowned Queensland coach Michael Bohl, Simpson confirmed to Saturday Confidential that he is now clocking sub-53 second swims in the 100m butterfly in training — just over a second shy of the Olympic qualifying time of 51.96secs.

He’s also just over one-and-a-half seconds shy of the current Australian number one in that event; Olympic gold medallist Kyle Chalmers.

“And that is just in training. I haven’t raced yet so I don’t know what I am capable of in that environment,” Simpson told Confidential from the Gold Coast this week.

“Paris 2024 has always be my goal and my dream and I have taken the approach that anything before that is a bonus.

“But the way things have been progressing it’s really promising. It’s really nice to know that I am well ahead of the schedule that I was originally working to.”

Cody Simpson and Ian Thorpe talk during the 2021 Australian Swimming Championships.

And the Aussie pop prince turned Prince Neptune has some serious weight in his corner, with multiple US Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps joining Grant Hackett and Ian Thorpe on ‘Team Simpson’ recently as a mentor.

“It’s pretty amazing having someone of his calibre helping me out,” says Simpson, who says Phelps is advising on stroke correction and turns.

“I send him video every now and then and he will come back and point out all the ways I can improve,” Simpson said.

Simpson is prepping to give the world its first look at his progress next month when he makes his competitive debut at the Sydney Open from May 8 at Sydney Olympic Park.