Former pop star Cody Simpson was SMASHED by his love rival and failed to make the final of 100m freestyle, but says he plans on making 2028 Olympics on top of the Paris games
- Simpson finished eighth in butterfly
- Didn’t make 100m freestyle final
- Slams criticism as ‘ridiculous’
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Cody Simpson refuses to admit his Olympic preparation has been impacted by a string of poor results with the former pop star insisting it is just part of the normal lead-up to the games.
And despite missing out on the final of the 100m freestyle and bombing out in his pet event in the 100m butterfly at the Australian Swimming Championships, Simpson says he has enough gas in the tank to reach the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles beyond the Paris games in 2024.
Kyle Chalmers shook off the love triangle headlines that followed him in 2022 after Simpson began dating his ex-girlfriend Emma McKeon to win the 100m freestyle, with Simpson unable to even make the final.
Then in the 100m butterfly, Simpson finished in eighth place, two seconds behind the winner, Matthew Temple, and 1.6 seconds slower than his personal best.
Simpson reacts after the final of the men’s 100m butterfly at the Australian Swimming Championships where he finished below expectations in eighth place
Simpson and Emma McKeon and pictured in his pop star days. Simpson has always said that he is likely to return to performing when his swimming career is finished
However, the 28-year-old has dismissed suggestions that results at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre were a hit to his Olympic preparation, telling Wide World of Sports that such talk was ‘ridiculous.’
‘Absolutely not – I think those headlines are ridiculous, because the Paris Olympic trials are in 15 months and we are in heavy training at the moment and everyone’s at different stages of their preparation,’ he said.
He said that the Australian Championships were not the nationals, which would take place in two months, and that his coach’s plan was not to have him at full pace this week.
‘I don’t know why they call it the Australian Championships – It’s more of a Grand Prix.
‘Our actual nationals are in two months, so I think there was a lot of media coverage on it.
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‘I didn’t really care to be honest about what people were saying because I’ve been in super hard training and my coach’s plan [wasn’t] to have me fresh and ready to race this week.
‘We’re still preparing for the meet in two months’ time. So yeah, it wasn’t too bad.’
Simpson, who spent ten years as a musician before switching to swimming in 2020, said that he plans to continue to push for Paris selection in both the 100m butterfly and the 4x100m relay squad.
Despite the poor results Simpson insists his best is yet to come and wants to push for selection for the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2028 Los Angeles games
Chalmers has been in ominous form and appears to be a certainty for the Paris Olympics after admitting the love triangle headlines had impacted his mental health previously
He had missed qualification for the Tokyo Games but had previously indicated that Paris would likely be the only Olympics he chases before a potential return to music.
However, Simpson now says he hasn’t given retirement from swimming any further thought and hasn’t ruled out making a charge for the LA Games in 2028.
‘I’ll make that decision when it occurs,’ he said.
‘I plan on continuing to pursue swimming certainly through Paris. I haven’t decided what lies beyond that in terms of swimming or whether I’ll continue or whether I’ll go back.
Eventually, I’m going back to playing music, it was always my plan.
Originally I said I’d only swim for four years, but I’m loving it so much that may drag on. I can’t say yet.’
Simpson has shown promise in the pool, winning a gold and a silver medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games for competing in the heats of both the 4x100m freestyle and the 4x100m medley relay. He also finished fifth in the solo butterfly event.
Chalmers, who won gold in the 100m freestyle at the Rio Olympics, is considered one of Australia’s strongest swimming prospects for Paris. He also beat Simpson in the 100m butterfly at the championships, finishing in third place.
