Paris Olympics 2024: Kyle Chalmers turns attention to Los Angeles Olympics after Paris heartache
Kyle Chalmers says the goalposts have moved after the record-breaking 100m freestyle swim in Paris, and the Aussie champ seems hellbent on being in Los Angeles to match that in 2028.
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King Kyle’s reign isn’t over yet.
No sooner had Kyle Chalmers wrapped up his third Olympics in Paris - matching Ian Thorpe’s record of nine career medals - than he started turning his attention to the next Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I love swimming and my mind is very strong,” Chalmers said.
“It’s just how long my body will manage to keep up for it but I think I’ll continue to swim on for as long as I possibly can.
“I love coming to competitions like these, seeing my mates from all over the world and being a part of a successful swimming team, so a few more years ahead of me.”
That’s the sweetest news Australian fans could have hoped for because Chalmers remains the heartbeat of the Dolphins team and at age 26, he’s swimming as fast as ever.
It took a scarcely believable world record of 46.40 seconds from Chinese teenager Pan Zhanle to deny Chalmers another 100m freestyle gold but the Aussie still bagged a silver to climb the podium for the third time on the trot in swimming’s blue-riband sprint event.
And rather than be deflated by Pan’s mind-blowing time, Chalmers said it had provided him with an extra spur.
“The goalposts have been shifted, it’s not about swimming 46.9 any more,” Chalmers said.
“I’m already training so hard, but I’m going to have to train even harder now to be competitive with them.
“It was amazing being in that race. I don’t think I’ve ever been beaten by body length in my entire career. I was breathing towards him in that last 15m and I could see his feet and I thought that I was having the worst race in my swimming career because I was so far behind.
“I’m going to take it as motivation and do everything I possibly can to try and match those times, because I want to be competitive. I don’t want to finish second or third.”
Chalmers was also motivated to continue for at least the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles - and possibly further - after experiencing the electric atmosphere in the French capital.
“It was amazing,” Chalmers said. “The crowd going crazy gave me goosebumps.
“We train so, so hard for four years for that little moment so I really embraced it and I think that’s what keeps me hungry and keeps me wanting to do it again.
“LA will be amazing and then it’s only four years til Brisbane, so it’d be cool to do it in front of the crowd, who knows.”
Chalmers already has his game face back on and a busy schedule in front of him.
He has agreed to swim the World Cup series in Asia in October before returning to Europe for the short-course world championships in December after taking a short break to tick off some other major items on his bucket list, including a quick get together with his future in-laws after announcing he’s getting married to Scandinavian swimmer Ingeborg Loyning.
“I’m going to Norway. Probably do a small engagement party with Inge’s family and friends and then head back to back to Australia for the UFC in Perth, which I’m really, really excited for,” he said.
“That’s what’s been motivating and driving me through this is getting back to Australia for UFC and then going to Vegas for UFC...I want a big UFC fan boy experience.
“I’m still hungry and so driven. I love training, I love getting up in the morning, I love swimming. I think it’s going to be very easy for me to step back into that.
“I love my sport and I love my lifestyle so much, but I am excited for the next chapter of my life progressing as well going home back to Adelaide, wedding planning.
“I’ve got a puppy so I’ll actually spend some time with the dog and Matt Temple’s one of my best mates so just be back around with my friends and family and celebrate with them. It’s going to be very special.”
Originally published as Paris Olympics 2024: Kyle Chalmers turns attention to Los Angeles Olympics after Paris heartache
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