Chalmers on mental health break after selection storm

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Swimming – Men’s 100m Freestyle – Semi Final 2 – Tokyo Aquatic Center – Tokyo, Japan – July 28, 2021. Australia’s Kyle Chalmers REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/

MELBOURNE, May 23 (Reuters) – Olympic gold medalist Kyle Chalmers skipped the announcement of Australia’s team for the world swimming championships on Sunday, citing a “huge number” of a media storm that erupted over his rivalry with the singer. pop star turned swimmer Cody Simpson.

Chalmers entered the Australian trials in Adelaide last week with no plans to swim at next month’s world championships in Budapest, but changed his mind after qualifying ahead of Simpson in the 100m butterfly.

His U-turn meant that Simpson would lose a place on the Australian team.

Chalmers, who has also criticized speculation about his private life, said he had returned home to Port Augusta, South Australia, to take care of his mental health.

“The last few days have been really challenging for me mentally and emotionally and it has taken a lot out of me,” Chalmers wrote on social media.

“The negative media attention surrounding my decision to compete at Worlds and the fabricated stories surrounding my personal life have been more than I can handle.”

Governing body Swimming Australia said it supported Chalmers’ decision to omit the team announcement.

While missing Budapest, Simpson was confirmed in Australia’s squad for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July-August, along with Chalmers.

Simpson said he and Chalmers, who won 100 freestyle gold medals at the 2016 Rio Games and silver in Tokyo last year, had already cleared things up.

“Obviously he’s right, he qualified second,” Simpson said on a Nine Network breakfast show Monday.

“I was going to respect whatever decision he wanted to make.

“We are excited to go and compete in Birmingham again.”

Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Edited by Peter Rutherford

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