How Chalmers can etch himself into history books with the last race of his Olympic career

The stage is set for Kyle Chalmers to etch himself into Olympic swimming history in the final of the men’s 100m freestyle at Paris on Thursday morning (AEST).

The 26-year-old has medalled in the previous two Olympics in the event – gold in Rio in 2016 and silver in Tokyo in 2021 – and now he enters the final with the second-fastest time behind China’s Pan Zhanle.

Given Chalmers was the first Aussie man to win the big event in 58 years back in 2016, SEN’s Gerard Whateley thinks his achievement would rank right up there if he were to medal in the blue riband event for a third-straight games.

Whateley thinks that Chalmers has every chance to go one better than Tokyo – where he missed out on gold by 0.06 seconds – if the race becomes a scrap and he doesn’t trail by too far early given he’s so well known for coming over the top of his opponents.

Like many Australians who will tune into the big race with their breakfast on Thursday, Whateley just hopes that Chalmers can finish his Olympic legacy on a high after already announcing that this will be his last games.

“He's in his third Olympic final in the blue riband event, so salute (him),” Whateley told SEN Breakfast.

“He’s gone gold (at Rio), silver (in Tokyo) and he’s already announced this is his last Olympics.

“He sagely said in the aftermath of his semi - where in his trademark style he comes over the top and touches the wall first – there are now three men in the final who have faster PBs than him, so he’s not the ruling force in the event anymore.

“But this is not a pool where world records are being broken and I sort of feel like that plays to him a little bit. He and Kaylee McKeown are two of a kind on that front, they just love nothing more than a scrap.

“If Chalmers can get himself into that (scrap), if it's not electrifying pace out front, his last 30 metres - which has always been the marker of his career, looked as good as you would want it to be (in the semi).

“I'll be like a few who have followed his whole career and I’m just hoping that he gets that final moment at the end.

“It doesn't have to be gold either, if he could medal three times in a row in the 100 given how competitive and ferocious that is, what an achievement that would be.”

Chalmers starts from lane 5 with the big final set to begin at 6:39 am (AEST) on Thursday.