Australian swimming trials: Latest news and analysis from Thursday events

Cody Simpson’s push for an Olympics berth ended with a last-placed finish in the men’s 100m butterfly final. But the ex-singer’s journey is just getting started.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 17: Cody Simpson gets ready for his Men's 100 metre Butterfly heat during the Australian National Olympic Swimming Trials at SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre on June 17, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Cody Simpson didn’t make the Australian Olympic team this time, but watch this space.

Still in the early stages of his comeback to swimming, the ex-boyfriend of Miley Cyrus has done more than enough since returning to the sport to prove he’s the real deal.

Simpson surprised everyone by smashing his personal best time to book a place in the final of the 100m butterfly at the Australian trials, stopping the clock at 52.84 seconds.

He came last in the final, going a fraction slower than in the heats, but there’s no shame in that.

Just making the final at the Olympics trials is an astonishing feat in itself.

“I gave it everything I had. To even be out here racing with the best guys in the country already is awesome,” Simpson said.

“For me, that’s my gold medal for this year. I didn’t expect to be remotely competitive to 2022, 2023 at the earliest.”

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Cody Simpson after finishing the men's 200m butterfly final in Adelaide. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Simpson’s coach Michael Bohl was impressed.

“He’s going pretty well. The aim of the game was to try and swim some PBs (personal best times) here,” Bohl said.

“He’s been good, he’s like a little kid in a candy shop, I think he’s excited to be back.

“At his last competitive meeting, when he was maybe 13 or 14 years of age, was a long time ago so he’s sort of revelling in, watching some of the superstars here competing and trying to learn and watch what they’re doing. He’s very excited with the opportunity to get in and swim at this level.”

One of Australia’s most experienced and successful coaches, Bohl isn’t in the business of talking up his swimmers.

On the contrary, he prefers to keep things low key so isn’t making any bold predictions about how far Simpson will go but he does admit he’s been impressed with his improvement since he returned home from the United States to contest the national trials in April.

“When he sort of came out it was always hard. He had that two weeks in quarantine, which was difficult,” Bohl said.

“We didn‘t try and flog him too much. Over the course of the last couple of months, it would have been a mistake to throw him into a big hole so we just tried to keep really the theme pretty light.

“He’s been not doing sort of full on sessions. He’s been doing eight a week, which is about what he was doing over in the States, but probably a little bit further than what (Brett) Hawke was giving him but I think he’s adapted really quickly, really well and he’s come up with some good swims.”

Cody Simpson has proven his Olympic ambitions are no joke.

A childhood star in the sport before he turned to music and moved to the US, Simpson has always played down his chances of making it to Tokyo for next month’s Olympics, saying his goal was just to get on the team for Paris in 2024.

But he has improved faster than anyone expected so is already being talked about as a genuine bolter for future Australian teams especially as the next 12 months is going to be a hectic time for the Dolphins with the shortcourse (25-metre) world championships taking place in Abu Dhabi in December, then the long-course (50-metre) championships in Japan next year followed by the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

“To have come and done what we did, with the most choppy prep ever, moving countries, moving coaches, doing the quarantine, just had two months with Bohly to get into the swing of things here, that was a challenge in itself,” Simpson said.

“I‘m really happy all things considered. I’ve already been talking about getting back in tomorrow if I can and adding some more events to my program. I want to start training 200s.

“The cool thing about my swimming is I don’t even know what my best event is yet. I just chose the 100m fly because it’s all I had time to prepare for this year.”

“I‘ll look at a couple of other things, 200m IM, 200m free, 200m fly, just depends on how the training goes. I have faith Bohly will lead me in the right direction.”

Bohl said: “He‘s going to probably go down on a surfing safari somewhere, he hasn’t done much of that since he’s been here so he’ll take like a week off at least, and then come back in and just maybe work towards shortcourse.

“Short-course is a little bit later in the year so we‘ll see what he can do there, so shortcourse then probably state titles in December so just really following the course that everyone else is taking.

“He won’t be going back to the States or anything, he’s going to stay firmly embedded here so we’re just trying to keep.

“I guess getting better is the name of the game. ”

Kaylee McKeown takes a breath after breaking the Commonwealth record for the women's 200m breaststroke in Thursday’s final. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

MCKEOWN SIGNS OFF IN STYLE

Kaylee McKeown signed off from the Australian trials in much the same way she started – with another barnstorming victory.

The teenage sensation easily won the 200m backstroke final to add to her victories in the 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley.

Her time of 2.04.28 was the fastest in the world this year and the fourth best in history, less than a second outside the world record.

“It was definitely a really painful 200,” McKeown said.

“(Coach Chris) Mooney and I always have this thing where there is someone to chase and I am still chasing down Regan (Smith) and there’s a lot of other guys now chasing down me, once you get to that number one spot it’s even harder to stay there.

“I actually said to Mooney in warm-up, I think it’s all starting to get to me, I had the shakes before that race and I don’t usually get that.

“It’s definitely a learning experience.”

Expected to be one of the breakout stars in Tokyo, McKeown has now qualified in three events for next month’s Tokyo Olympics – 100m backstroke, 200m individual medley and 200m backstroke – and will also swim in at least two relays.

McKeown broke the world record in the 100m and is ranked No. 1 in the world in all three races.

Emily Seebohm finished second in 2:06.38. The 29-year-old also qualified in the 100m backstroke and is one of just three Australian swimmers to qualify for four Olympics.

Ariarne Titmus after winning the women's 800m freestyle final on Thursday night. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

TITMUS BREAKS OWN RECORD

Ariarne Titmus broke her own Australian record in the 800m freestyle to book herself a third swim at the Tokyo Olympics.

She had already won the 200m and 400mand criuosed to victory in the 800m in 8:15.57, shaving 0.13 off her old Australian record.

But she was still well behind American Katie Ledecky’s world record of 8:04.79.

Kiam Melverton finished second in 8:19.05 to qualify for her second race in Tokyo after already booking a spot in the 1500m.

THRILLER FREESTYLE FINISH

Australian sprint queens Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell could only be separated by 0.01 after a blanket finish to the women’s 50m freestyle final.

McKeon got her hands on the wall first to win in 23.93 seconds – the fastest time in the world in 2021 – with Campbell second in 23.94.

The pair also finished first and second in the 100m and are looking at busy programs in Tokyo.

McKeon has also qualified in 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly and with relays she could swim up to eight events while Campbell could be involved in up to five events.

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