Australian swimming trials: Latest news and analysis from Tuesday events

Australia may not have the world-class sprinting depth they once enjoyed, but they always have Kyle Chalmers - and the defending Olympic 100m freestyle champion is building serious momentum.

Kyle Chalmers after winning his Men's 100 metre freestyle heat. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Overshadowed all week by our record-breaking women, Australia’s men swimmers also have a shot at winning some silverware at the Tokyo Olympics next month.

Kyle Chalmers will defend his 100m freestyle crown after cruising to victory in a world-class time while Zac Stubblety-Cook almost broke the world record in 200m breaststroke.

Despite having no-one to seriously challenge him, King Kyle showed why he is a red-hot chance to win gold at back-to-back Olympics as he won in 47.59 seconds, just 0.01 outside his winning time at Rio in 2016.

Kyle Chalmers is going to be a busy boy in Tokyo.

That is still off his best but it will send a message to his main rivals, American superstar Caeleb Dressel, Britain’s Duncan Scott and Russian flyer Kliment Kolesnikov that he is peaking at the right time.

“I think that‘s what excites me most, I want to be a part of one of the greatest races in history,” Chalmers said.

“I know there‘s a lot of guys that are swimming fast at the moment but obviously, it’s a bit easier to swim faster at trials.

“You’ve got to do it when the pressure‘s on and when it counts the most so it’ll be interesting to see how quick people can go in five weeks’ time.”

Chalmers had already won the 200m freestyle final in Adelaide and with the four relays he will swim six events in Tokyo, though he has only a faint hope of picking up a medal in the men’s 4x100m freestyle..

Zac Stubbletey-Cook swam the second fastest 200m breaststroke in history at the trials.

The days when Australia boasted the fastest men in the world are now a distant past with only second placed Matthew Temple (48.32), the former scaffolder, going under the Olympic qualifying time

Cameron McEvoy should make the relay after finishing third along with Zac Incerti, who was fourth.

Australia’s men have another serious contender for a medal in Stubblety-Cook, who unleashed an incredible final lap to win the 200m breaststroke final in 2:06.28 - the second fastest time in history.

The only person who has gone quicker is Russian Anton Chupkov, who set the existing world record of 2:08.12 at the 2019 world championships.

Stubblety-Cook now has a real chance to win gold in Tokyo, but his win was soured by a heartbreaking result for Matt Wilson, who finished second in 2:08.52.

Elizabeth Dekkers finished second in the 200m butterfly final.

Although he was well under the official qualifying time for Tokyo, Wilson was just outside the harder standard imposed by Swimming Australia.

It will be up to the selectors whether they pick him or not but five years ago, Wilson won the 200m breaststroke final at the Australian trials and still wasn’t chosen, even though he was under the official qualifying time then as well.

It’s a controversial policy that has been criticised as bordering on being cruel - particularly given that the United States recognises the official qualifying standard without any need to impose tougher times.

Exciting Queensland teenager Elizabeth Dekkers is in danger of becoming another victim of the cutthroat selection rule after she finished second in the 200m butterfly final in 2:08.57, inside the official qualifying mark but just outside the Australian cut off.

Western Australia’s Brianna Throssell won in 2:07.63, safely under both qualifying times, to make her second Olympic team.

Brianna Throssell has quailified for her second Olympic team.

Under the rules, the 25-year-old is now also likely to be allowed to swim the 100m butterfly after she finished second to Emma McKeon in the shorter event but missed the qualifying time by 0.01.

Madeline Gough broke the Australian record to qualify for the inaugural women’s 1500m freestyle event.

Gough’s time of 15:46.13 eclipsing Jessica Ashwood’s old national mark of 15:52.17.

Kiah Melverton finished second in 15:57.14. Both went under the qualifying time.

Originally published as Australian swimming trials: Latest news and analysis from Tuesday events