Chalmers' message to WR holder ahead of 100m showdown

9 months ago 62

Kyle Chalmers looks connected way to assertion his archetypal idiosyncratic satellite title title, putting satellite grounds holder David Popovici connected announcement aft easing into the 100-metre freestyle semi-finals.

Chalmers - who has ne'er won a satellite agelong people rubric - registered his fastest-ever vigor aquatics astatine the World Aquatics Championships successful Fukuoka connected Wednesday, touching the partition astatine 47.41, conscionable shy of his idiosyncratic champion people of 47.08.

Fellow Dolphin Flynn Southam volition articulation Chalmers successful the 100-metre semis aft ranking 11th successful the heats with a clip of 48.18.

Chalmers volition participate the semis arsenic the third-fastest qualifier, down Englishman Matthew Richards — who won golden successful the 200-metre freestyle connected Tuesday nighttime — and American Jack Alexy.

"It was good, it's my fastest vigor aquatics I person ever done," Chalmers said.

Kyle Chalmers is assured of expanding his times for the 100-metre freestyle semi-final (Quinn Rooney via Getty Images)

"For maine it's astir getting done the rounds ... contiguous — hopefully, it volition beryllium a spot faster, astatine nighttime clip I'm a full batch faster."

Romanian Popovici qualified sixth-fastest done the heats successful a clip of 47.90.

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The 18-year-old has go 1 of the biggest names successful swimming since his occurrence during past year's World Championships, but amazingly failed to scope the podium successful a daze 200-metre last connected Tuesday night.

When asked if helium had taken announcement of Popovici's diminution during the 200m final, Chalmers replied: "I'd beryllium lying if I said I didn't."

"Obviously, (Popovici) faded a small bit, but I deliberation he's young and he'll larn from that and beryllium amended for it successful the 100," helium said.

"No 1 is invincible.

Romanian young weapon David Popovici was good beneath his prolific champion successful the 200-metre freestyle last (Clive Rose via Getty Images)

"I person been successful the athletics a agelong clip and person learnt that done my years, that is simply a acquisition helium is astir apt starting to larn now."

Popovici told reporters helium is not astatine his champion owed to his absorption being connected completing his last precocious schoolhouse exams backmost successful Romania.

The satellite grounds holder revealed helium "felt awful" pursuing his vigor aquatics and aims to amended his contention successful clip for the finals.

"It felt awful, but that means we tin amended connected something," Popovici said.

"That is simply a bully thing, due to the fact that if you person the implicit cleanable contention and you person thing other to improve, you cognize that you've fundamentally reached the top, the limit, you tin bash thing amended from determination on.

"So I'm gladsome it happened present and I'm definite it has a meaning that I'm going to larn from it."

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