Australia’s swimmers are wasting no time as the opening day of competition at the Paris Olympics fast approaches.
Wednesday marks 100 days until the opening ceremony of the XXXIII Olympiad that will take place on the River Seine. However, none of Australia’s swimmers will be at the opening ceremony because heats start the following morning on July 27.
Australia topped the medal tally at last year’s world swimming championships in Japan, beating the USA in an international competition for the first time since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
“They’re really looking forward to getting in and racing,” said Australian head coach Rohan Taylor.
What do I need to know?
There are two major Australian swimming meetings before Paris.
The Australian Open Championships get underway on the Gold Coast this week, running from Wednesday to Saturday.
Spots for the Paris team are not up for grabs just yet but the championships will provide a decent gauge on who is in form and who has work to do before the trials. It is a high-calibre field, with all the country’s best swimmers attending.
Some swimmers will still be in heavy training blocks, so times aren’t a definitive guide on their progression.
“This meet coming up really signifies we’re close to the [Olympic] action,” Taylor said. “The most important thing is we get to see where everybody’s at.
“You always like to see fast swimming, but at the same time … they may not be as sharp as they need to be. I think all the guys that are really aiming for trials wouldn’t be wouldn’t be rested for this.”
(L-R) Elijah Winnington, Sam Short, Emma McKeon, Tommy Neill and Ariarne Titmus at the launch of the new Speedo swimsuits for the Australian team competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.Credit: Jamila Toderas
The meet that really counts is the Australian trials in Brisbane from June 10 to 15. Only the top two in each event will qualify for the Olympics, provided certain qualifying times are met. Extra athletes can also be selected for relay teams.
Selected athletes will depart Australia several days later for a staging camp in France before entering the village on July 23.
Who is impressing at this stage of the year?
Australia’s backstroke champion Kaylee McKeown continues to post sharp times. She was less than a quarter of a second outside her world record in the 100m backstroke when she competed at the NSW State Open Championships in Sydney last month. She will also race the 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley in Paris if everything goes to plan.
Australia backstroke star Kaylee McKeown at last year’s world championships in Fukuoka. Credit: Getty
Earlier this year, Cam McEvoy missed a gold medal by just 0.01 seconds in the men’s 50m freestyle at the world championships in Doha. However, his heat time of 21.13 seconds would have won him the gold medal. Instead, it went to Ukraine’s Vladyslav Bukhov (21.44). McEvoy was victorious at last year’s world championships in Japan when the very best were competing, unlike in Doha. McEvoy aims to become Australia’s first male Olympic medallist in the one-lap splash and dash.
Meanwhile, Mollie O’Callaghan won her 100m and 200m freestyle finals at the NSW State Open Championships with relative ease. She could race for six gold medals in Paris.
Who is yet to show their best this year?
Emma McKeon is Australia’s most decorated Olympian but the 29-year-old is no guarantee to replicate her feats from Tokyo. McKeon knew she wouldn’t be at her absolute best last year at the world championships. She and her coach Michael Bohl have taken a steady approach to her Paris preparations after an extended period out of the water following the Tokyo Games.
“Her training has been really consistent and she’s an experienced campaigner,” Taylor said. “I think she wants to keep her run steady to Paris. All the reports I’m hearing is she’s been tracking well.”
Emma McKeon has vowed to undergo more ruthless preparation for the Paris Olympics.Credit: Getty Images
Kyle Chalmers was beaten in his favoured 100m freestyle event at the NSW States last month by William Yang. Chalmers’ time of 48.53 was well outside the 47.15 he clocked in Fukuoka in July to win his maiden individual longcourse world title. However, there is no need for panic. Chalmers will crank it up when he needs to. The 25-year-old has swapped programs, joining Olympian Ash Delaney on the Sunshine Coast, after his coach Peter Bishop was stood down last month following an investigation at the South Australian Sports Institute.
“He’s done a number of training blocks up here on the [Sunshine] Coast in the past few years,” Taylor said of Chalmers. “Because he’s familiar with it, he was keen to give it a go. We obviously wanted to support him. I see him quite regularly up here and he seems to be settled really well.”
All eyes will be on former pop star Cody Simpson this week. He is gunning for an individual spot in the 100m butterfly at trials but will need a big improvement on his personal best.
Storylines to watch this week
Sprint sisters Bronte Campbell and Cate Campbell have been posting solid times as they come back from respective breaks from the sport. The women’s 100m freestyle final on Wednesday evening will be a race loaded with world-class stars.
Four-time Olympian Emily Seebohm has entered the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke events this week after celebrating the birth of her son Sampson in September, while Mitch Larkin is also back in the pool following a 14-month break after the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
What about international athletes?
Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh continues to impress. Her time of 1:54.21 in the 200m freestyle at the Canadian Open was the fastest of the year. She didn’t contest the 400m freestyle, where she will go head-to-head with Ariarne Titmus in Paris. McIntosh also sent an ominous message in February by becoming the first person in 13 years to beat Katie Ledecky in an 800m freestyle race.
USA great Caeleb Dressel is back racing after a long lay-off. His butterfly is coming along better than his freestyle but come Paris, he’ll be aiming for back-to-back gold medals in the blue-ribbon 100m freestyle event where he’ll go up against Chalmers.
Meanwhile, rising American star Gretchen Walsh made headlines by winning all seven of her events at the NCAA Championships – the biggest meeting for US college swimmers. Although it was a shortcourse event in a pool measured in yards, Walsh is all the talk in the States at the moment.
Can Australia make history at these Olympics?
Yes. It is not hyperbole to suggest Australia can win 10 gold medals in the pool. Coaches and athletes will likely steer clear of bold predictions but there is serious depth in this Dolphins team.
The record to beat is the nine gold medals Australia claimed at the last Olympics in Tokyo.
