Kyle Chalmers is struggling to focus after a series of controversial stories questioning his relationships within the team.Credit:Getty
“It’s been the hardest 12 hours in my sporting career. Injury,family issues,things like that that can go wrong,it’s in your control. Things like this,it’s out of your control,it’s extremely hard and extremely challenging,especially when you are on the other side of the world and don’t have your direct support network around you.”
Chalmers barely slept after he left the Commonwealth Games pool,where he just piloted the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay to a gold medal and Games record. He didn’t get asked a single question about the race and was immediately pressed about suggestions he refused to congratulate McKeon,a former love interest who now dates Simpson,for her role in a mixed relay the previous night.
It degenerated into a series of heated exchanges in the media mixed zone as teammates Flynn Southam,Zac Incerti and William Yang watched on in shock. At one point Yang,a team rookie who had just won his first medal,asked if he could excuse himself because nobody had paid him any attention.
Chalmers said he struggled to get out of bed for Sunday’s 100m freestyle heats after having just an hour or two of sleep. He Facetimed his family when he returned to the village and said his mother was in tears.
Emma McKeon and Cody Simpson at the pool in Birmingham.Credit:Getty
“For me,it took every little bit of courage to get out of bed this morning and stand on the blocks and race. I want to be on a plane home and be done with it all. It is very,very overwhelming and upsetting,” Chalmers said.
“I don’t want any of this. I love being part of the Australian swimming team. I love standing in front of big crowds and swimming fast. But for me,it’s taking too much of a toll on my mental health.