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Rio Olympics 2016: New golden boy ‘dreams’ of career in another sport

Chalmers stormed home to win his event.

Chalmers stormed home to win his event. Photo: Getty

Australia’s 48-year Olympic hoodoo in the 100m freestyle was emphatically broken on Thursday.

And it took a footy-loving teenager from Port Lincoln, South Australia, to do it.

Kyle Chalmers is our new golden boy after coming from the clouds to become the first Aussie since Michael Wenden in 1968 to win the marquee race at the Games.

He was earmarked for stardom in the pool when barely a teenager, but Chalmers could have easily been lost to Australian rules football.

His father Brett played 120 games for Port Adelaide in the SANFL during the 1990s, and made 75 AFL appearances for the Adelaide Crows and the fledgling Power from 1994-99.

Kyle was born during Brett’s penultimate season in the big time – and shares his dad’s love of footy.

“Before I race at the pool, I’ll always have a footy in my hands,” Kyle told the ABC earlier this year.

“That’s one of my things during my warm-up – I’ll always have a footy with me.

kyle chalmers football

Chalmers with a ball in his hands in San Francisco. Photo: Instagram

“[I] just take it everywhere around the world with me. I love it. I love a footy. I love the feeling of a footy.

“To be honest with you, I still have that dream of being a professional footballer one day.”

Kyle was coached by his father at Immanuel College, the South Australian school he studied at until this year.

But with the Olympics on the horizon, he was banned from playing football by his swim coaches last year.

Chalmers almost wrecked his world titles campaign after suffering a broken wrist and torn ankle ligaments in matches.

Keen to get his footy fix in other areas, Chalmers now does work experience at Port Adelaide and is an ambassador for the club.

kyle chalmers football

Chalmers with AFL Brownlow Medallist Nathan Fyfe. Photo: Instagram

That’s not to say he doesn’t love swimming, though.

He broke Ian Thorpe’s 100m record at the age of just 16 – confirming the potential first spotted at a primary school swimming carnival.

State and national championships followed his breakthrough and his family – Brett, mum Jodie and younger brother Jackson – packed up and left Port Lincoln for Adelaide by the time he was 13.

Just like Thorpe, Chalmers’ strategy over the 100m is all about his strong finish.

The 18-year-old said this week: “I will swim to my strength and my strength is my back end. I’m not worried where I turn at the wall.”

How right he was.

Chalmers was in no man’s land at the halfway point of a race where most Aussies were focused on the performance of Cameron McEvoy.

But he surged home in an incredible finish that will surely go down in Australian sporting folklore.

kyle chalmers football

Chalmers’ win was one for the ages. Photo: Getty

He is now our youngest individual gold medallist since Thorpe at the Sydney Games.

Chalmers was remarkably composed afterwards, with his post-race comments highlighting the unassuming nature that is quickly becoming his trademark.

“It’s definitely still sinking in that I have actually won. It was a good race,” a relaxed Chalmers told the Seven Network.

Good was putting it mildly.

The youngest member of the Australian men’s team’s popularity is reflected by his string of nicknames.

McEvoy’s coach Richard Scarce (who doubles as Chalmers’ coach in Rio after his own coach wasn’t selected by the AOC) dubbed him ‘Prince Chalmers’, while he also gets ‘No dramas Chalmers’ for his cool disposition, and ‘Big Tuna’, a nod to Port Lincoln’s most famous export.

kyle chalmers football

Chalmers recently got his driving licence. Photo: Instagram

The rising star attracted wide acclaim last year at the world championships, when the then 17-year-old swam a brilliant leg in Australia’s 4x100m relay team’s disaster.

Despite the team’s abject failure in missing the final, Chalmers’ positivity shone through.

“It was probably the best moment I have ever had in my life to be honest,” he said.

“Getting to wear the gold cap for the first time and walking through the marshalling room with these guys was a pretty special moment for me.”

Almost exactly a year later, Chalmers is the toast of the same team, and all of Australia … and it’s probably safe to assume Chalmers has updated the No.1 spot in his ‘best moment ever’ stakes.

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