Kyle Chalmers 12th on list of youngest Australian swimmers to win individual Olympic gold medal

KYLE Chalmers was the youngest man to win an individual Olympic swimming gold medal for 16 years - yet he’s nowhere near the top of the youngest Aussies.

Kyle Chalmers.

KYLE Chalmers became the 12th youngest Australian to claim an individual swimming gold medal at an Olympic Games.

In total, 21 Australians have won individual gold in the pool while teenagers at the time of the opening ceremony at which they won their first Olympic final.

Sandra Morgan is Australia’s youngest swimming gold medallist at 14 years and 6 months, however her gold came in the 4x100m relay at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Of Australia’s individual swimming gold medallists, Shane Gould’s record of 15 years and two months in Munich continues to stand the test of time.

Andrew “Boy” Charlton is the youngest individual gold medallist among male swimmers, taking out the 1500m freestyle title at the 1924 Paris Olympics at the age of 16 years and eight months.

Chalmers is the seventh youngest Australian male to win individual Olympic swimming gold.

Kyle Chalmers with his gold medal.

Check out the complete list below:

Shane Gould - 15 years, 2 months - 200m + 400m freestyle + 200m IM (1972)

Clare Dennis - 16 years, 4 months - 200m breaststroke (1932)

Andrew “Boy” Charlton - 16 years, 8 months - 1500m freestyle (1924)

Gail Neal - 17 years, 1 month - 400m IM (1972)

Lyn McClements - 17 years, 5 months - 10mm freestyle (1968)

Ian O’Brien - 17 years, 7 months - 200m breaststroke (1964)

Murray Rose - 17 years, 10 months - 400m + 1500m freestyle (1956), 400m freestyle (1960)

Ian Thorpe - 17 years, 11 months - 400m freestyle (2000), 200m + 400m freestyle (2004)

Ian Thorpe, Sydney 2000 400m gold medallist.

Jon Sieben - 17 years, 11 months - 200m butterfly (1984)

Michelle Ford - 18 years, 0 months - 400m freestyle (1980)

Brad Cooper - 18 years, 1 month - 400m freestyle (1972)

Kyle Chalmers - 18 years, 1 month - 100m freestyle (2016)

Lorraine Crapp - 18 years, 1 month - 400m freestyle (1956)

Beverley Whitfield - 18 years, 2 months - 200m breaststroke (1972)

John Konrads - 18 years, 3 months - 1500m freestyle (1960)

Michael Wenden - 18 years, 10 months - 100m + 200m freestyle (1968)

David Thiele - 18 years, 10 months - 100m backstroke (1956, 1960)

Kieren Perkins - 18 years, 11 months - 1500m freestyle (1992, 1996)

Dawn Fraser - 19 years, 2 months - 100m freestyle (1956, 1960, 1964)

Kevin Berry - 19 years, 6 months - 200m butterfly (1964)

Bob Windle - 19 years, 11 months - 1500m freestyle (1964)

Originally published as Kyle Chalmers 12th on list of youngest Australian swimmers to win individual Olympic gold medal