Kyle Chalmers’ decision to deny Cody Simpson a spot at the swimming world championships has backfired, with the Aussie star failing to qualify for the semi-finals in the 100m butterfly.
Chalmers had initially signalled his intention to skip the FINA World Championships in Budapest, before going back on his decision after finishing second in the 100m butterfly final behind Matthew Temple at the Australian championships.
The 23-year-old’s decision meant Simpson missed out on qualifying for the event after finishing third behind Temple and Chalmers, despite swimming a time that was fast enough to qualify for the event.
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Having won the gold medal in the 100m freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Chalmers is hoping to add the butterfly to his arsenal ahead of the 2024 Paris Games.
However, Chalmers was only able to record a time of 52.70 in Budapest, more than a second slower that his time at the Australian trials (51.67). The time ranked him 22nd overall, well short of the top-16 that qualified for the semi-finals.
Temple was able to qualify for the semi-finals after swimming a 51.86 which ranked him 12th overall, while Hungary’s Kristof Milak led the pack with 50.68.
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Despite Chalmers’ backflip costing Simpson, the pair were able to bury the hatchet during the Australian championships in Adelaide earlier this year.
Both swimmers are expected to compete at the Commonwealth Games next month in Birmingham.
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