He may be the poster boy of this week's Gold Coast Commonwealth Games swim trials but Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers claims he is flying under the radar.
A household name after his shock Rio 100m freestyle win, the 19-year-old Chalmers will be one of the most recognisable faces when he makes his official return to the pool along with ex-world champions Cate Campbell and James Magnussen at the four-day meet starting on Wednesday.
Yet the young gun reckons he has kept a low profile in his comeback from 2017 heart surgery and now wants to create waves in the selection trials' opening blue riband event - Wednesday night's 200m freestyle final.
Chalmers' pet event is still the 100m but he has also set his sights on the 200m ahead of Tokyo 2020, bolstering an already stacked domestic field that the Rio champ believes will produce the fastest four-lap heat in Australian swimming history on Wednesday morning.
"I haven't done a lot of media before the meet, I think I am almost flying under the radar if I can say that but it is good," Chalmers said.
"This is probably the best mental and physical spot I have been in to race well since Rio and I will need to be.
"Tomorrow morning will probably be the fastest heat we see in the history of Australian 200m freestyle - I have to be on."
Besides Chalmers, the 200m field will also feature last year's shock winner - Rio 400m gold medallist Mack Horton - multiple national champ Cameron McEvoy, No.1-ranked Clyde Lewis, veteran Dave McKeon and rising stars Elijah Winnington and Jack Cartwright.
Only three individual 200m spots will be on offer for April's Games.
Chalmers said he wasn't feeling the pressure - unlike the 2017 trials.
Chalmers was still buzzing from his Rio success when he came crashing back to earth at last year's world titles trials when he was upstaged by McEvoy in the 100m final.
He still qualified for the 2017 world titles but withdrew for surgery to rectify an irregular heart beat condition that had plagued him since childhood.
"I think life has started to get back to normal (after Rio)," Chalmers said.
"This is probably the first comp without the pressure and I have been able to do my own thing.
"I am now excited about racing. That was probably something I wasn't experiencing last year because I felt there was a lot more pressure on me and I probably put that pressure on myself.
"Now it is getting back to basics and swimming the way I know works."
Former dual world champion Magnussen will return from a shoulder reconstruction and line up against Chalmers in Thursday night's much anticipated 100m freestyle final.
Ex-world record holder Campbell will also make her official return after taking a 2017 sabbatical following her disappointing Rio campaign.
Share
