Kyle Chalmers chose swimming over Australian rules last year

KYLE Chalmers was supposed to nominate for this year’s AFL draft. Now he’s an Olympic swimming champion.

KYLE Chalmers was supposed to nominate for this year’s AFL draft. Now he’s an Olympic swimming champion.

If not for a broken wrist and torn ankle ligaments playing a school Aussie rules game last year, Chalmers may never have become the Olympic 100m freestyle champion.

The son of former Adelaide and Port Adelaide ruckman Brett Chalmers, Kyle had always been keen at both sports.

29/11/13. The winners of the 2013 School Sports Awards have been announced. Swimmer/footballer Kyle Chalmers - 15yrs (Glenelg North) won the Secondary School Sports Award and footballer/baseballer Callum Park - 12yrs (Plympton Park) won the Richard Newman Primary School Sports Award. Pic Keryn Stevens

It wasn’t until his injury, six weeks before last year’s world titles, that Australian swimming officials told Chalmers it was now or never. Be a swimmer or a footy player, not both.

After shocking the world to win Olympic gold in Rio, he no longer regrets his choice.

“There was definitely some regrets, but I’m an injury-prone person. Six weeks before worlds last year I cracked a bone in my wrist and did the ligaments in my ankle,” Chalmers said.

8/04/2014 Kyle Chalmers and his father Brett Chalmers at Marion Aquatic centre. Pic Mark Brake

Australia's Kyle Chalmers celebrates winning the Gold medal in the Men's 100m Freestyle Final on day five of the swimming at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Picture. Phil Hillyard

“I got a call from the head coach of Australia and my swimming coaches at home and they just said look the football and swimming were no longer an option. You can’t do both, you have to choose.

“I was lucky I’d been selected on that Australian team last year to go to worlds so I made the decision to be a swimmer and there’s no regrets now, not at all.

“This would’ve been my draft year for footy. That has probably been playing in the back of my mind too, so to come out there and do that definitely shows I chose the right sport and made the right decision when the time came.”

Originally published as Kyle Chalmers chose swimming over Australian rules last year