Kyle Chalmers’ quest to swim butterfly on the international stage has been put on the backburner.
Chalmers has withdrawn from the 100m butterfly event at this month’s world swimming championships in Japan.
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The 25-year-old qualified for the event by finishing second behind close friend Matthew Temple at the Australian trials and said at the time he was keen to try his hand at butterfly at the world championships.
But Chalmers has had a change of heart and won’t swim the 100m butterfly, choosing to focus on his pet event the 100m freestyle and packed program of up to five relays.
Shaun Champion finished third at the Aussie trials and replaced Chalmers in the 100m butterfly in the official entry lists for the world championships, which begin in Fukuoka on July 23.
At last year’s world championships in Budapest, Chalmers finished 22nd in the 100m butterfly.
The 2016 Olympic champion is one of the favourites in the 100m freestyle, which will be his only individual event.
Champion already had a spot on the team after finishing second in the 50m butterfly and third in the 100m at the trials, ahead of Cody Simpson.
Simpson missed out on making the world championship team for the second year in a row but is still firmly focused on his long term goal of qualifying for the Paris Olympics next year.
The pop star turned swimmer won a gold and silver medal as a relay swimmer at last year’s Commonwealth Games and finished fifth in the 100m butterfly final in Birmingham.
Chalmers isn’t the only Aussie swimmer to tweak their program for the world championships.
Rising star Mollie O’Callaghan was considered a genuine medal chance in the 100m backstroke, but she won’t swim the event — instead focusing on the 100m and 200 freestyle, and 50m backstroke.
The world championships return to Fukuoka 22 years after Ian Thorpe led the Dolphins to a historic triumph in Japan at the turn of the century.
Thorpe won six gold medals as Australia topped the medal tally for the first and only time at a world championships. The Aussie will be hoping history repeats in Japan.
Australian team for swimming world championships
Women
50m freestyle – Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon
100m freestyle – Mollie O’Callaghan, Emma McKeon
200m freestyle – Mollie O’Callaghan, Ariarne Titmus
400m freestyle – Ariarne Titmus, Lani Pallister
800m freestyle – Ariarne Titmus, Lani Pallister
1500m freestyle – Lani Pallister, Moesha Johnson
50m backstroke – Kaylee McKeown, Mollie O’Callaghan
100m backstroke – Kaylee McKeown, Madi Wilson
200m backstroke – Kaylee McKeown, Jenna Forrester
50m breaststroke – Abbey Harkin
100m breaststroke – Abbey Harkin
200m breaststroke – Abbey Harkin
50m butterfly – Brianna Throssell
100m butterfly – Emma McKeon, Brianna Throssell
200m butterfly – Lizzie Dekkers, Abbey Connor
200m individual medley – Kaylee McKeown, Jenna Forrester
400m individual medley – Jenna Forrester, Kiah Melverton
Relays only – Meg Harris
Men
50m freestyle – Cam McEvoy, Isaac Cooper
100m freestyle – Kyle Chalmers, Flynn Southam
200m freestyle – Kai Taylor, Alex Graham
400m freestyle – Sam Short, Elijah Winnington
800m freestyle – Sam Short, Elijah Winnington
1500m freestyle – Sam Short
50m backstroke – Isaac Cooper, Brad Woodward
100m backstroke – Isaac Cooper, Brad Woodward
200m backstroke – Brad Woodward
50m breaststroke – Sam Williamson
100m breaststroke – Zac Stubblety-Cook
200m breaststroke – Zac Stubblety-Cook
50m butterfly – Cam McEvoy, Shaun Champion
100m butterfly – Matt Temple, Shaun Champion
200m butterfly – Matt Temple
200m individual medley – Tommy Neill, Brendon Smith
400m individual medley – Tommy Neill, Brendon Smith
Relays only – Jack Cartwright
