The Chalmers family watch from the stands as son Kyle wins gold in the 100m freestyle
LAST year Kyle Chalmers’ dad Brett thought it would be amazing if his son simply made the Rio Olympic team. Those expectations were soon blown out of the water.
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LAST year Kyle Chalmers’ dad Brett thought it would be amazing if his son simply made the Australian Olympic team for Rio.
Last night he thought it would be incredible if he could finish in the top six of the 100m freestyle final.
When he won and became Olympic champion at just 18, Brett couldn’t believe his eyes.
“To sit there and watch it was pretty surreal,” he said.
“From where we were watching you didn’t know how far behind them he was, we could see him coming and I didn’t know if he had enough left in the tank.
“But he’s a fighter, he’ll chase them down and he kept chasing and chasing.”
Brett, his wife Jodie and Kyle’s 15-year-old brother Jackson were sitting high up in the stands directly behind the start/finish line and leapt out of their seats when Kyle touched first.
They waited more than an hour after the medal presentation while Kyle did his press conference and warmed down in the recovery pool to finally embrace him with a giant hug.
The emotional reunion happened behind the stands in the Olympic pool where Kyle appeared from the doorway wearing his green and gold tracksuit and with his gold medal in hand and smiling from ear to ear.
“Twelve months ago he won a gold medal at the junior worlds and we thought it would be great if he could make the Olympic team, just in the relay, but to come to the Olympics and walk away with two medals — a bronze and gold it’s pretty amazing for an 18-year-old,” said Brett, who played 75 AFL games with Port Adelaide and Adelaide.
“Personally I thought to finish in the top five or six would be a big effort, and when he turned seventh I didn’t know.
“But whatever he could do we’re proud of him, seventh, eighth, or 36th, we’re proud of him just because he made the team.
“It’s a long way from Port Lincoln, that’s where he started and it’s a hell of a long way (to Rio).
“We’re a really close family and we celebrate both our boys and what they achieve in their sporting and academic careers.
“He’ll be excited when he comes back home, I know he’s got some pretty happy grandparents who can’t wait to speak to him, as well as all his schoolmates and friends in Adelaide.”
At home, Kyle is in bed by 8.30pm each night, is extremely strict with his diet and disciplined with his training.
As for whether his new gold medal will get him out of doing household chores when he gets home, his mum Jodie said:
“He doesn’t do them anyway,” she said with a laugh.
“We’ve got a lot to be thankful for and a lot of people behind him, supporting him, people from home have sent messages of support, and we’re thinking about the coaches that are in Adelaide and other people who have got him here.”
The last time Brett and Jodie spoke to Kyle was before the 4x100m freestyle relay in which Australia won bronze, and they saw no signs of nerves in their son who was set for the biggest week of his life.
“I think he’s just a racer, he’s there, he knows what his job is to do and he gives it 110 per cent every time,” Brett said.
Originally published as The Chalmers family watch from the stands as son Kyle wins gold in the 100m freestyle
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