A paparazzo sneaked his way under the noses of officials into the Australian Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast this week.
With formal accreditation draped around his neck, the man had no intention of covering races like the other photographers there. He only had eyes for one man.
After spending more than half his life in the public eye, Cody Simpson can spot a telephoto lens in seconds. That’s a byproduct of being an A-list celebrity.
Just ask Simpson’s former coach and Australian Olympian Brett Hawke what it was like walking down the street with him in America in mid-2020 around the time the pair hatched a secret plan to transform the pop star into a fully-fledged swimmer.
“We were at the grocery store and he had paparazzi following him around,” Hawke told the Herald from the US. “It was really weird to me back then. He could spot somebody a mile away. It never fazed him then and I’m sure it doesn’t now.”
Cody Simpson on the Gold Coast this week ahead of the Australian Swimming Championships.Credit: Getty
There is significant public interest in Simpson – he has 5 million Instagram followers and another 6.6 million on Twitter – given his rise to fame as a teenage heartthrob and his one-time relationship with Miley Cyrus.
Despite being unhappy about the paparazzo’s presence, Simpson continued on with his day as the determined photographer got what he needed. Swimming officials were upset he had managed to get accreditation.
Shirtless photos were published soon after, with one headline reading: “Cody Simpson Bares Ripped Body in Tiny Speedo at Swimming Competition.”
Perhaps the headline writer didn’t know that Simpson in Speedos isn’t a new thing.
“If there’s paparazzo given rights to come in, you can’t pull someone’s accreditation off them,” Simpson’s coach Michael Bohl told the Herald. “You’ve got to deal with it.
“If you go to the Olympics and you’re Michael Phelps; he’s got 10 times more paparazzi after him. You’ve got a choice: you either get upset by it or you disregard it. You can put the hoodie over, put the earphones in. At these sorts of meets, it’s inconsequential.”
There is no red carpet in swimming for a rock star, particularly at this week’s Australian championships – one of the great levellers.
It’s where the sport’s biggest names find a small patch of concrete for their warm-ups. Simpson here, Emma McKeon there, plus hundreds of aspiring Olympians within touching distance of their heroes.
Cody Simpson has his sights set on the Paris 2024 Olympics. Credit: Getty
“He’s got kids coming up and getting autographs on the pool deck,” Bohl said. “You don’t really want that, if we can help it, at trials.”
It hasn’t been a great week for Simpson in the pool but if you believe some headlines, his chances of qualifying for next year’s Olympics in Paris have been dashed.
It is not fair to suggest Simpson’s Olympic dream has faded on the back of what has been a disappointing week at a championships that didn’t mean anything. For Simpson, the first serious test will come at the June trials for July’s World Aquatics Championships.
The trials for the Olympics – the week when Simpson really needs to be at his best – are not until the middle of next year.
Another mitigating factor for Simpson’s below-par display is that he has been battling illness.
In the 100m butterfly final, his favoured event, Simpson finished eighth in 53.48s. His time was 1.7 seconds behind his personal best of 51.78s, which he set in December.
Two Australian swimmers will be picked for the world championships and Olympics in that event.
Matt Temple (personal best of 50.45s) is likely to be there. The second spot is up for grabs.
Simpson declined to speak to reporters this week but Bohl, who Hawke labelled “the best coach in the world”, said he was not concerned by his progress.
Cody Simpson with Justin Bieber.Credit: Instagram
“It’s been a little difficult,” Bohl said. “He got sick in Noumea [at a training camp]. He came back to get medical treatment. He was out of the water for probably two weeks and he’s been back in for two weeks coming into this meet.
“He’s been going well and he’s improved every year he’s been here. There’s no team being picked now. It’s hard when you haven’t got that continuity of training.
Cody Simpson recently launched a fashion label. Credit: Jamie Green
“At the moment, we’re not seeing anything. You’ve almost got to not be a ‘Doubting Thomas’. You see the training he was doing before he was sick. It has thrown him a little. We’ve got just under eight weeks to get the results in trials.
“In the butterfly individually, he is a good chance [to qualify]. As a 4×100 relay swimmer … he is an outside chance. In the 100m butterfly there are about five or six guys fighting for two spots.”
According to Hawke, who helped Simpson on his path to representing Australia at the Commonwealth Games last year, he is adamant that making the Olympics is still possible.
“It’s sad when you do read stories that he’s failed or he’s off track,” said Hawke, a two-time Olympian. “We’ve got to let it play out. He’s putting himself in a position to compete in the trials.
“He’s not where he wants to be and he’s a lot further along than a lot of people think he should be. He’s somewhere in that middle.
“Seeing where he was, he’s come so far. He was starting from scratch. Three years ago, when you’re talking about somebody potentially shooting for an Olympic team, you think they’re crazy. He’s basically coming from a whole different world. He’s coming from the music industry.
“To even be in a position where he is now, is crazy. I’m amazed at the work he’s put in. I’m really proud.”
If Simpson makes it to Paris, there’ll be a whole pack of paparazzi fighting to get that money shot.
