King Chalmers dethroned as compatriot claims 100m crown
Ian Chadband and Joanna Guelas |
Kyle Chalmers has been dethroned as the Commonwealth Games 100m freestyle king in Glasgow, the ‘Big Tuna’ having been reeled in by young friend and rival Flynn Southam in a landmark changing-of-the-guard moment.
With a potential record-breaking 10th Commonwealth gold in his sights, Chalmers had his proud record of never having been beaten by an Australian in major international competition dismantled by 21-year-old Southam in the Tollcross pool.
Clocking a searing 47.13 seconds, Southam, the Fremantle-born, NSW-raised prospect who’d long been tipped as the most likely successor to ‘King Kyle’, was more than half-a-second clear of bronze medallist Chalmers (47.74) to win his first major individual title.
Welshman Matt Richards split the two Dolphins, grabbing the silver in 47.64.
“Me and Kyle have utmost respect for one another. But it’s my time to shine, and I know that,” said Southam.
“I’ve been due for this, and this is my breakout meet. Four years ago, I came here as a little boy – but now I’m a man, and I belong here.”
For Chalmers, though, cheered on by his wife, Norwegian international swimmer Ingeborg Loyning and baby daughter Astrid, there was a mixture of frustration that he couldn’t land the 10th gold and 12th medal in all that would have taken him past the great Ian Thorpe as Australia’s most successful men’s swimmer ever at the Games.
Port Lincoln’s 28-year-old maestro is likely to still have a chance, though, in the 50m butterfly final on the final day of competition in what could be his final appearance at the Games.
Southam had signalled his intentions at the start of the week when he clocked a sizzling lead-off relay leg of 47.09, which was just a hundredth-of-a-second slower than Chalmers’ all-time best and quicker than the South Australian star’s 2026 best by half a second.
Admitting that he knew the passing-of-the-baton moment was inevitably coming at some point soon, Chalmers had hoped he could delay the moment but was happy to tip his hat to the young gun.
“If I am to be beaten, it’s good to be beaten by someone I consider a good mate of mine who I speak to pretty well every single day,” Chalmers had said before the race.
The night had kicked off with 22-year-old Queenslander Kirralee Hayes taking the para gold medal in the 50m freestyle S13 final, adding to the bronze she’d won in the equivalent 100m event. Another Australian Jenna Jones took the bronze.
AAP