He did it! Extraordinary scenes as Cody Simpson stuns Australian sport by easily qualifying for the 100m Butterfly final at the Olympic Swimming trials
Many Australians were quick to write-off the Olympic hopes of never-quite-famous pop star Cody Simpson.
But the 24-year-old’s doubters were silenced at the Australian Swimming Trials on Thursday, as he placed third in the ‘fast heat’ and easily qualified for the 7pm final.
He looked understandably puffed out exiting the pool at the South Australian Aquatic and Leisure Centre, after qualifying sixth with a time of 52.84 seconds.
He did it! Singer Cody Simpson stunned the Australian swimming world on Thursday, easily qualifying for the 100m Butterfly Final at the National Swimming Trials in Adelaide
The Gold Coast-born talent’s time was a new personal best – but he’ll have to dig even deeper to upstage number one qualifier Matthew Temple (51.47 seconds).
Swimming Australia has set the Olympic qualifying time at 51.70 seconds, meaning Cody will have to shave just over a second off his already impressive heat result.
It remains a tough ask for the former flame of Miley Cyrus, who looked like he had little left in the tank following Thursday morning’s heat.
He showcased his gym-honed frame in a pair of black Speedo swim trunks.
Gassed but ready to go! He looked understandably puffed out exiting the pool at the South Australian Aquatic and Leisure Centre, after qualifying sixth with a time of 52.84 seconds
Final hurdle: The Gold Coast-born talent’s time was a new personal best – but he’ll have to dig even deeper to upstage number one qualifier Matthew Temple (51.47 seconds). Swimming Australia has set the Olympic qualifying time at 51.70 seconds
The 100m Butterfly is Cody’s pet event and he already exceeded expectations by winning his 100m Freestyle heat on Tuesday, despite failing to qualify for the final.
He beamed as he walked out of the pool complex to speak to media after his surprise win.
‘I’m pretty stoked!’ the pop star-turned-Olympic hopeful said in an interview with Nine News.
‘Considering 100 free [style] is a fun event for me, I just wanted to get in the water and see how the training has done and I’m super happy with it,’ he said.
‘Pretty stoked!’ The 100m Butterfly is Cody’s pet event and he already exceeded expectations by winning his 100m Freestyle heat on Tuesday, despite failing to qualify for the final. He told media he was ‘stoked’ after his surprise win
‘I feel amazing, it’s really nice to get one under my belt before the 100 butterfly. It definitely went a lot quicker than I thought it would.’
For Cody, it’s not just the element of winning which has inspired him to show up.
‘It’s really amazing to be around so many incredible swimmers… guys that I’ve known since they were little that I used to race when we were little,’ he said.
‘Seeing them breaking record left, right and centre. Just being around it all, the energy is unreal.’
Cody was a talented junior swimmer, but quit when his recording career took off. He returned to the sport last year with hopes of qualifying for Paris 2024.
The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics to 2021 has offered him the chance to realise his childhood dream three-years earlier.
Resurfaced: Cody was a talented junior swimmer, but quit when his recording career took off. He returned to the sport last year with hopes of qualifying for Paris 2024. The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics to 2021 has offered him the chance to realise his childhood dream three-years earlier