PARIS -- In one fluent motion, Kyle Chalmers lunged for the wall, then hastily whipped his body around to catch a glimpse of the La Defense Arena jumbotron. He ripped off his swim cap, admired his time for a moment, then gave a series of fist bumps to his competitors in the adjacent lanes before bobbing under the ropes and hopping out of the pool, likely for the last time in an individual Olympic final.
Another appearance in swimming's blue riband event, another medal for 'Big Tuna'.
Chalmers did not walk away with the gold he desperately craved in Wednesday evening's 100m freestyle final, a race he won as a fresh-faced 18-year-old in Rio eight years ago, though once again he dazzled in the two-lap sprint, turning a rotten start into his second successive Olympic silver medal.
But there's an important distinction to this final. Chalmers did not lose the race; China's Pan Zhanle won it. The 21-year-old phenom, who idolised the South Australian as a teen, emerged with a half body-length lead after diving in, and never looked like relinquishing it. He powered home to smash his own world record with a blistering 46.40s, the first set at these Games in Paris. And after a swim like that, all you can really do is tip your cap.
The simple fact Chalmers was still a legitimate chance of doubling up eight years after winning this race speaks volumes. It underscores his consistency, work rate, and longevity in the pool, particularly as a sprinter where form can drastically swing from one Olympic cycle to the next. And for that, Chalmers and his swim to silver in Paris deserve to be widely celebrated.
He became just the third man in Olympics history to place three times in the men's 100m freestyle. One gold. Two silvers. He also kept Australia's streak alive of having representation on this podium at every Games since 2004. It's an astonishing achievement for a man that's endured a rollercoaster career and often been shortchanged the public acclaim his inspirational swimming resume undoubtedly commands.
Chalmers really should be celebrated a whole lot more than he is. In many ways, it's surprising that he's not, given he's the quintessential athlete Australians generally love to rally behind. Fiercely competitive, a big-time performer, and, maybe most importantly, someone who simply adores representing his country. Dolphins head coach Rohan Taylor believes he "grows a foot taller" when donning the iconically Australian yellow swim cap. And it's hard to argue with him; Chalmers' best swims almost exclusively coming on the grandest stages. He's won at the Olympics. He's won at the world championships. He's won just about everywhere he's competed.
But timing is everything in life and that certainly rings true for his career. In another era, he does receive more of that media spotlight and public fanfare. In another era, he's celebrated as the all-time great Olympic champion that he is. Instead, his time in the pool has coincided with a dominant group of Australian ladies setting the bar of expectation to extraordinarily lofty and often unattainable heights.
Chalmers' one Olympic gold medal pales in comparison to the like of Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O'Callaghan, and Kaylee McKeown, but unlike these girls, he's only ever contested the one individual event at Olympic level. He's also never had the men's talent around him to help drive him to relay success. Often, it's been Chalmers anchoring teams to podium finishes they otherwise wouldn't sniff without him in the squad. He did that yet again on opening night in Paris with a jaw-dropping 46.59s 100m split.
And yet with everything working against him Chalmers has been able to amass eight Olympic medals, a feat only bested from an Australian perspective by Ian Thorpe and Emma McKeon. It's why whether he swims in Los Angeles in four years time or not, his legacy as an all-time great sprinter is set and cemented.