Rio 2016: Kyle Chalmers ends Australia drought with win

Winner of the the men’s 100-metre freestyle event Australia’s Kyle Chalmers (center), second-placed Belgium’s Pieter Timmers (left) and third placed American Nathan Adrian with their medals on Thursday. (Photo: AP)

Australia’s really young gun Kyle Chalmers won the Olympic 100m freestyle gold in Rio on Wednesday to end his country’s 48-year drought in swimming’s prestige event.

The 18-year-old, who was swimming in his school carnival earlier this year, stormed home to win in a junior world record of 47.58sec, 22-tenths of a second ahead of Belgian silver medallist Pieter Timmers’ 47.80 with 2012 gold medallist Nathan Adrian of the United States third in 47.85.

Adrian said he’d never heard of Chalmers until he finished second at the Australian trials.

Chalmers said that suited him just fine.

“I think I definitely flew under the radar,” said Chalmers who won’t be able to stay out of the spotlight now after an electrifying Olympic debut that saw him duck under the 48-second mark for the first time in Tuesday’s heats.

He became the first Australian to win 100m free gold since Mike Wenden in 1968. Since then three Australians had finished second — Mark Stockwell in 1984, Eamon Sullivan in 2008 and James Magnussen in 2012.

Chalmers made his move along with Timmers, who was fifth at the turn, to seize the win in a mass finish.

Amid the euphoria, he had a thought to spare for teammate Cameron McEvoy, who had established himself as the man to beat with a sizzling 47.04 in April but was relegated to seventh in 48.12sec.

Katie Ledecky anchored the United States to gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay, overtaking Australia’s Tamsin Cook to bring her team home in 7:43.03.

Ledecky, who teamed with Allison Schmitt, Leah Smith and Maya Di Rado, claimed her third gold of the Games while Australia’s Leah Neale, Emma McKeon, Bronte Barratt and Cook earned silver in 7:44.87.

Canada’s Katerine Savard, Taylor Ruck, Brittany MacLean and Penny Oleksiak earned bronze in 7:45.39.

Phelps into medley final Michael Phelps continued his quest for a fourth straight 200m individual medley gold, besting old foe Ryan Lochte in their semi-final to lead the way into final, where Brazil’s Thiago Pereira and Japan’s Kosuke Hagino will be out to crash the US duel.

Admittedly still tired, Phelps was nonetheless looking forward to a final showdown with world record-holder Lochte.