Aussie Freestyle Sprint King Kyle Chalmers Now Chasing Butterfly Gold In LA in 28
Australia’s 100m freestyle sprint king and 2016 Olympic gold medallist Kyle Chalmers will now be chasing gold in another event at the LA28 Games after rocketing to the top of the 50m butterfly world rankings.
Chalmers blasted out a personal best time of 22.77 on a sizzling night two of the Australian Open Championships on the Gold Coast, 24 hours after another impressive 100m freestyle victory.
The 50 fly win edging him 0.01 ahead of reigning world champion, Frenchman Max Grousset’s best 2026 time of 22.78 set last month at the Lausanne Swim Cup in Switzerland.
The 27-year-old Chalmers revealing one of the newest events on the LA28 program is now squarely in his sights after another time that makes the triple Olympic 100m freestyle medallist and 2016 Rio champion, very competitive on the world stage in another event.
His 22.77 is the second fastest time ever by an Australian – and just 0.04 outside Matt Targett’s 2009 “Supersuit” Australian record of 22.73 set at the 2009 World’s in Rome.
Chalmers excited to turn the clock back to 2014 when he won his first ever Open Nationals medal in the 50m butterfly at just 15, in a time of 24.03.
Going on to win one of four gold medals at the Oceania Championships in Auckland – launching a remarkable international career – just two years before winning his Olympic gold.
Chalmers saying after the race tonight that the one thing that excites him in swimming is doing a personal best time after 11 years on the Australian Dolphins National team.
“It’s about swimming pbs and the 50m butterfly is the event that I first medalled in, back in 2014 and so to have this event in the 2032 Olympics is exciting,” said Chalmers, adding the 50m fly win to his gold medal in last night’s 100m freestyle.
“I think I have a body that is best suited to butterfly so to turn the clock back to when I first started is amazing. I am really looking forward to it….”
And there was another outstanding swim from Paris Olympian and world championship silver medallist Lani Pallister who added the 400m freestyle to her 800m from night one.
Again leading from the outset in typical Pallister fashion – clocking her second fastest time ever and fastest in season time of 3:59.36 (27.67, 57.40, 1:27.79, 1:58.15, 2:28.82, 2:59.93) – improving her 4.00.61 from the China Open.
The time leap-frogging her above Katie Ledecky’s second fastest time for 2026 of 4:00.54 – behind world record holder Summer McIntosh’s best 2026-time of 3:55.37.
With New Zealand’s 2024 world champion Erika Fairweather trying to hang on to Pallister as long as she could, producing a strong swim, clocking 4:02.09, with Brazilian Maria Costa third in 4:03.41.
Pallister saying she couldn’t be happier, but her plans are to get bigger, faster and stronger.
“I was 4:00.61 in China two weeks ago and I had a pretty good swim last night (in the 800m) but I’m happy with a 3:59 in-season – that’s my second fastest time ever -just behind what I swam at World’s in Singapore.,” said Pallister.
“I’m really happy with my progression this season and I’m looking forward to Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs, it will be a big year.
“Dean (Boxall) has set the bar pretty high for me and all the staff at St Peters Western it’s been fun working with them finding different race plans and different strategies and how to improve in training.
“I’m a very hard task master and whenever I achieve something I move the goalposts any way…trying to be bigger, better and stronger and that’s what I’ve done over the last 18 months.”
More to come…..
