Zac Stubblety-Cook breaks world record for 200m breaststroke at Australian Swimming Championships
Olympic gold medalist Zac Stubblety-Cook broke the world record in the men’s 200m breaststroke final at the Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide.
Most important points:
Zac Stubblety-Cook said breaking the world record was “surreal” Kyle Chalmers said he would reconsider missing the World Championships after winning the 50m butterfly. If Chalmers changes his mind, pop star Cody Simpson might miss it.
His time of 2:05.95 was 0.17 seconds below the old record of Anton Chupkov of Russia, making him the first man in history to break the 2:06 barrier.
Stubblety-Cook won gold at the event at the Tokyo Olympics.
“I always had the goal in the back of my mind to be the first man to go 2:05, and you don’t get many chances, and tonight was one of them,” he said after the race.
“It’s a bit surreal, to be quite honest.
“Doesn’t feel real yet, hasn’t sunk in yet. Will probably sink in in the coming days; still have some chores before then.”
“,I was hoping to swim fast and close to my best, and that’s just another thing.”
Zac Stubblety-Cook broke the record by 0.17 seconds. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)
Stubblety-Cook said the process, not the results, drove him.
“I’ve thought about it and tried to be in that process, but I’ve never been like yes, that’s it, like I want to break a world record, but you know it happens,” said the timid swimmer.
Matthew Wilson, who finished third, led the race in quick time, enabling Stubblety-Cook to drive home.
“I was feeling pretty good at 100, so I knew I could take it home, but I didn’t think we were going fast.”
‘You can’t distinguish me as the bad guy’: Chalmers could swim in World Championships after all.
Kyle Chalmers finished second in the 100m butterfly on Wednesday and won the 50m on Thursday. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)
Previously, Kyle Chalmers, Olympic freestyle gold medalist, dropped a bombshell by saying he’s considering swimming at the World Championships, which would deprive pop sensation Cody Simpson of a spot on the team.
Chalmers told the media about his physical and mental pain in recent months after winning the men’s 50m butterfly at the Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide.
On Wednesday, Chalmers was second and Simpson third in the 100m butterfly behind Olympian Matthew Temple.
Chalmers had previously said he would not swim at the Budapest World Championships in June.
That decision opened the door for Simpson’s incredible pool comeback after a successful decade-long career in music.
But Chalmers says his form has taken him by surprise and that butterfly swimming is his first love, prompting a rethink of the World Championships.
“Well, you can’t think of me as the bad guy, can you,” Chalmers said when he decides to join in, possibly robbing Simpson of a spot.
“Unfortunately, I started as a butterfly kite, and I swim; I’ve been on the team for eight years now; I’ve watched the 100 butterflies from a distance and always wanted to do it, but my body won’t allow me to do it until now to do,” he said.
“For me, I need to have a serious sit-down with my coach [Peter Bishop] and my team around me and have that discussion for the next few days,” he said when asked if he wanted to swim in Budapest.
“Of course, I was looking at my preparation eight weeks ago, I wasn’t in the pool at all, I may not go swimming at all this year, and may never swim again.
“My shoulders hurt a lot.
“I’ve given everything I can to this sport for the past five years, mentally, physically, emotionally, and was just extremely burned out.”
Posted 1 hour ago1 hour ago Thu May 19, 2022, at 10:58 AM, updated one month ago1 minute ago Thu May 19, 2022, at 12:01 PM
