Star Australian swimmer Kyle Chalmers has declared the 2024 Paris Olympics will be his last.
The 25-year-old revealed on Wednesday morning his intentions to retire from the sport, this time next year.
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Speaking to SEN, the freestyle champion explained the decision.
“(Paris 2024) will be the last Olympics, definitely, for me,” he told SEN’s Sydney breakfast show.
“I’ll be 26 next year. Even this year, being in the marshalling room (at the World Championships), I was the oldest in the race by quite a significant amount; guys were (born in) 2003, 2004 born now.
“(There are) a lot of young guys rolling through, so I’m definitely the old man in the marshalling room now.
“Even in Tokyo a few years ago, I was the second oldest in the race at 22.
“I’ll be old and ready to start the next chapter in my life.”
Chalmers said it was “quite challenging” adjusting to the changing age demographic in the team.
“Rooming is fine, because one of my best mates, Matthew Temple, rooms with me when we go away, which makes it pretty easy — we train together here in Adelaide,” he said.
“But it’s definitely quite challenging having these 17, 18-year-old kids on the team, and they kind of make up most of it. Just having things in common to talk about is a challenge at times.
“I’ve been around for quite some time now, so I kind of have taken on a role doing some mentoring with the kids. A lot of them are really eager to learn, so (I’m) just giving back in that sense, passing on a bit of my knowledge and wisdom (which is) making life a whole lot easier for me.”
The South Australian burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old at the Rio Olympics in 2016 where he stormed to victory in the 100m freestyle in 47.58 seconds.
More to come …
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