Article by Julian Linden courtesy of the Australian.
The coronation of King Kyle is complete.
Kyle Chalmers won the admiration of his countryman when he claimed the Olympic gold medal at Rio in 2016 while still a schoolboy.
Now he is the world champion after his stunning victory in the men’s 100m freestyle at Fukuoka on Thursday.
It was the one major title to have eluded him during his incredible career but now he has the full set: Olympic gold, Commonwealth Games gold, world shortcourse gold and now world championship gold.
If not for injuries, Chalmers probably would have completed his full set of medals earlier, but his ability to overcome any obstacle that is put in front of him, makes his feat all the more remarkable.
Against a strong field, that included world record holder David Popovici, Chalmers stormed home over the last lap to win the gold in 47.15 seconds. This was as sweet as it gets and he celebrated the way he should: flexing his muscles and soaking up the applause.
“I feel awesome,” Chalmers said. “That was the last medal to complete the set in my swimming career so it feels great to do that against such a stacked field.”
Although he sometimes makes it look like he’s going for a leisurely dip, elite freestyle sprinting is one the most cutthroat, high-pressure events in the pool.
Standing 1.94m tall and packed with muscles that are covered in tattoos, Chalmers is an imposing figure but he feels the pressure like everyone else.
The 25-year-old has been open about the mental health issues he’s faced that almost made him quit the sport.
All Australians who love their sport will be glad he didn’t.
He’s been an immense force in the relays for years – winning a stack of medals for his country with his scorching anchor legs – but this was one for him.
Earlier, rising star Lizzie Dekkers won a silver medal, ending a 14 year drought for Australia in the 200m butterfly, after a courageous performance.
The 19-year-old from Queensland flashed home from fifth place at the halfway mark to finish second behind Canadian superstar Summer McIntosh.
Australia’s last medal in the event was Jessicah Schipper’s gold medal from Rome in 2009.
