Cody Simpson’s ticket to Paris Olympics could be in the SAME relay team as Kyle Chalmers
Cody Simpson may end up alongside ‘love triangle’ rival Kyle Chalmers in the same relay team at the Paris Olympics as the pop star turned swimmer looks to focus on the 100m freestyle.
Simpson, 25, has only been back in the pool for two years since abandoning his music career to realise his swimming dream.
He has admitted that choosing the 100m butterfly was a ‘sentimental’ selection for the Commonwealth Games.
Cody Simpson could end up alongside Kyle Chalmers in the same relay team at the Paris Olympics come 2024 as the pop star turned swimmer ponders his next move in the pool (pictured, with girlfriend Emma McKeon)
Now he will face up against the might of the United States swimming team at this weekend’s Duel In The Pool in Sydney and is looking to turn his attention to the 100m freestyle in the exhibition event.
Brimming with confidence after his encouraging showing at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where he won a gold medal as part of the 4x100m freestyle relay as a heat swimmer, Simpson stated he was ‘yet to explore other territory.’
Australia will select six swimmers for the 4x100m freestyle team for Paris and Simpson is viewing that as his best shot at booking his ticket for the Olympics.
‘I came back to swimming and picked the 100 fly just because it was something I liked to swim growing up and we focused on it because it was the first little breakthrough I had in an event,’ he said.
Kyle Chalmers felt he was painted as a villain at the Commonwealth Games and dismissed talk of a love triangle which involved Simpson and Emma McKeon, who once dated Chalmers
‘But I’ve yet to sort of explore other territory and I think the next 12 months will be my opportunity to expand on the events I will swim and try new things.
‘So far my focus has been on the one event, so I’d love to expand.’
That process may seen Simpson enter the 100m freestyle – the same event Chalmers has dominated on the world stage in recent years.
Naturally if he produces slick times, Simpson will then be in the frame for freestyle sprint relay events with Chalmers.
Simpson previously qualified for the final of the 100m freestyle at the national titles.
Ahead of Saturday night in Sydney, the partner of Australian swimming icon Emma McKeon is yet to compete against the US stars and is embracing the challenge.
‘Looking forward to that, coming up off the Comm Games. It’s an unreal, first international racing experience for me. And to be able to do this off the back of it,’ Simpson added.
‘There’s so many, like unconventional events and things planned for Duel in the Pool, you know, a lot of things that we didn’t do in training, it’d be kind of cool to be able to bring those into, you know, a spectator environment.’
Cody Simpson and Emma McKeon recently holidayed together in Europe as the couple ‘reset’ ahead of preparing for the 2024 Olympic Games
Chalmers with a message for his critics after winning the 100m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games earlier this month
Simpson also recently returned from a holiday in Europe with McKeon, where the couple had the chance to ‘reset.’
It followed intense media coverage in Birmingham, where the pair were involved in a ‘love triangle’ with Chalmers, who previously dated McKeon.
Chalmers later stated the media attention in the UK and on Australian shores left him feeling victimised and he questioned his future in the sport due to a ‘smear campaign’ in his eyes.
McKeon, 28, became Australia’s most successful athlete in Commonwealth Games history in Birmingham.
It followed her four gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
