Commonwealth Games swimming trials: Cody Simpson qualifies for Australian squad
Cody Simpson’s transformation from pop star to swimming sensation is complete after he clinched a spot on the Australian team for the world championships and Commonwealth Games. WATCH HIS SWIM
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From making records to breaking records, Cody Simpson’s transformation from pop star to swimming sensation is complete.
The rhythm and blues singer can now call himself an elite high-performance athlete after qualifying for the Australian national team more than a decade after he quit the sport for a music career.
It all sounds like a Hollywood script but what the sceptics once dismissed as a publicity stunt has become reality after the 25-year-old clinched a spot on the Australian team for this year’s world championships and Commonwealth Games.
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Simpson earned himself a place in the team the hard way by finishing third at the national championships in 100 metres butterfly on Wednesday.
“It means everything. My mum swam for Australia and I was told when I was a little boy that I‘d want to swim for Australia as well. And then obviously I was sidetracked for the better part of 10 years,” he said.
“When I decided to come back she was actually one of the only people that said ‘are you sure you want to do that? Do you understand what it entails and the work it entails and stuff? ‘And I said ’yeah, I want to do it’.”
Earlire, in the heats, Simpson stormed to victory in a super-fast time of 51.79 seconds - well under the FINA A qualifying time for all the biggest international events.
Now dating Emma McKeon, Simpson’s time was the second fastest overall from the morning heats in Adelaide with Tokyo Olympian Matt Temple setting the pace at 51.74.
Rio Olympic 100m freestyle champion Kyle Chalmers was third in 52.10 after announcing he was adding butterfly to his schedule.
Simpson’s stunning heat swim was almost a second under his previous lifetime best and saw him leapfrog former world record holder Michael Klim on Australia’s all-time list.
Meanwhile, Shayna Jack is also off to the world championships and Commonwealth Games aftre finishing second in in the women’s 100m freestyle in a career best time of 52.60 seconds.
Jack won her heat in 53.27 to qualify equal second fastest for the final behind her teenage teammate Mollie O’Callaghan, who posted the fastest time in the world this year when she stopped the clock at 52.83.
Mack Horton eased his way through the 400m freestyle heats in a time of 3:48.92, looking relaxed and saving his energy for the final.
Horton missed the chance to defend the 400m gold medal he won in Rio when he qualified third at last year’s trials but has a spring in his step after switching coaches to Michael Bohl.
His chances of making the team in his pet event have been boosted by the withdrawal of Jack McLoughlin and Tommy Neill.
SWIM TRIALS: TEEN FREAKS AND FIERCE RIVALS FACE OFF
Although there will be some familiar names missing, there will be plenty of stars in action at this week’s Australian swimming championships, which double as the trials for next month’s world championships then the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham July and August.
To make the team, swimmers need to finish top two for the world titles and top three for the Commonwealth Games and make the qualifying times. But the selectors have made some exceptions.
Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown, Ariarne Titmus, Kyle Chalmers, Zac Stubletty-Cook and Brendon Smith were all given automatic spots for Birmingham.
McKeon is skipping the trials and the worlds while Titmus and Chalmers are not going to worlds, although they will still compete at the trials.
Cate Campbell, Bronte Campbell, Emily Seebohm and Jack McLoughlin are all taking a sabbatical but there is no shortage of mouth-watering races to watch.
FRENEMIES
Already guaranteed a place in the 100m freestyle after winning the silver medal at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Kyle Chalmers has entered the butterfly sprints, pitting him against pop star Cody Simpson, who is dating his ex-girlfriend Emma McKeon.
Prime Video commentator Grant Hackett’s verdict: “I actually think Cody’s a real chance. He’s done all the work. He looks super fit and the body’s in good shape.”
IN LIKE FLYNN
Just 16, Flynn Southam has been anointed as the next big thing in Australian swimming after breaking Chalmers’ age group record for 100m freestyle and is bidding for his first senior team.
Head coach Rohan Taylor’s verdict: “From a technical point of view and a race strategy point of view, he’s very good and on a personal level, he’s just a really well-rounded young man. He’s very focused.”
RECORD BREAKER
The only Aussie male swimmer to win gold at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Zac Stubletty-Cook’s only real rival in 200m breaststroke is the clock. The second-fastest in history, he came within a whisker of breaking Anton Chipkov’s world record at last year’s trials and has his sights set on getting it this time.
Hackett’s verdict: “I think the world record’s certainly within striking distance for him this year.”
REDEMPTION
Elijah Winnington was one of the breakout performers at last year’s Olympic trials, setting the fastest time in the world since 2019 to win the 400m freestyle only to miss a medal in Tokyo. Mack Horton finished third so missed the chance to defend his title.
Hackett’s verdict: “I think Mack will go well. His body’s holding up well, it’s not like anything’s broken. If he wants to do it and the desire is there.”
RISING STAR
Queensland teenager Tom Neill was one of the big finds at last year’s Olympics — unleashing a brilliant anchor leg to win bronze for Australia. With an extra year under his belt, he should be even better and looking for individual swims in 200m and 400m.
Hackett’s verdict: “I honestly think Tommy Neill’s the big one to watch out for. I expect him to perform very well this week.”
JACK’S BACK
Returning to competition after serving a two-year ban for a doping offence she maintains she was innocent of, Shayna Jack is ranked No.1 in the world 400 100m freestyle and No.2 for 50m.
Taylor’s verdict: “Shayna’s put some good times down and her goals are to get back on the Australian team and I’m really looking forward to seeing her race.”
YOUNG GUN
One of the leaders of the next wave of stars, the Queensland teenager Mollie O’Callaghan won three medals (two gold, one bronze) as a back up relay swimmer in Tokyo last year and is looking to qualify in even more events this time.
Prime Video commentator Giaan Rooney’s verdict: “The exciting thing about having so much depth is that those young ones coming through like Mollie O, that were an integral part of the relay but they’re now all fighting for individual spots.”
TERMINATOR
Although she will be competing at the trials and the Commonwealth Games, the 200m and 400m freestyle Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus has decided not to swim at next month’s world championships. Interestingly, she has entered the 100m, to try to get on the relay.
Rooney’s verdict: “She had a break after Tokyo and even she said she found it a little bit hard getting back into training but Holey Dooley, not only is she back in the pool, but she’s back where she was.”
GOLDEN GIRL
Backstroke world record holder Kaylee McKeown won three gold medals in Tokyo but is eyeing even more this time after adding the individual medleys to her program, and is rated a red-hot chance to win the lot.
Rooney’s verdict: “Kaylee just completely blows my mind. I find her so exciting to watch. Lots of things have changed since Tokyo but Kayee hasn’t changed one bit. She’s still the exact same person that she was before she dominated the world over in Tokyo and it
It’s business as usual for her.”
UNSUNG HERO
While Cate Campbell stole the spotlight with her blistering final leg swim to clinch gold for Australia in the medley relay, the key to victory was Chelsea Hodges’ breaststroke leg.
Rooney’s verdict: “Chelsea knew that that relay almost all came down to her. I think the confidence she will get out of Tokyo is what she needs to be the one to stamp her dominance on that event.”
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