In 1924 and 1928, American Johnny Weissmuller won the Olympic Games 100m freestyle in Paris and Amsterdam respectively.
He went on to play the character Tarzan in a dozen films in the 1930s and 1940s before giving up the loincloth and swinging on vines to star as Jungle Jim in 13 more movies.
Today, Kyle Chalmers, the just turned 18-year-old Year 12 student from Adelaide, in his Olympic Games debut, gave the world’s elite sprinters a lesson to win gold in a world junior record and personal best 47.58.
It is interesting to compare ‘Tarzan’s’ times in Paris and Amsterdam of 59 seconds dead and 58.6 respectively with Chalmers’ 47.58.
I can’t quote ‘Tarzan’, but Chalmers humbly said – “It was a good race, I’m very happy about that.”
Surely the understatement of the Games so far.
He wasn’t in the frame in the first 50 metres, but bit by bit the powerfully built 194cm, 90kg Chalmers surged through the field to grab gold.
The other Aussie in the final, the world’s fastest this year, Cameron McEvoy very quickly got to Chalmers to give him a big hug.
As they left the pool, it was McEoy who lifted Chalmers’ arm in salute.
When interviewed poolside McEvoy said -“He’s just turned 18, bloody wonderful isn’t it?”
It bloody well was.
McEvoy was the hot favourite to win the 100m freestyle gold but finished seventh, a bitter disappointment for him no doubt.
No Channel Seven viewer would ever have picked disappointment.
McEvoy was the ultimate top class sportsman heaping praise on his young compatriot.
So the day belonged to Kyle Chalmers, swimming next to the defending champion Nathan Adrian who is nine years older and far more experienced.
That “Prince” Chalmers powered past the American said it all.
He’s now elevated to King in the eyes of his schoolmates at Immanuel College in Adelaide who are in high celebratory mood after watching the final live.
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