Cody Simpson drops sad hint about future in swimming after stunning career-first
The former pop star recently won his first two national titles as a professional swimmer.
Cody Simpson has hinted that his career as a professional swimmer is coming to an end after a remarkable first at the Australian short course championships last week. The former pop star won two gold medals and a silver, claiming his first two national titles in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly.
But a story posted to Simpson's Instagram page on Wednesday appeared to suggest his swimming career is on its last legs. The 26-year-old posted a screenshot of one of his races, as well as the three medals he won.
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He also wrote: “Went down to Sydney last week to race during my training season. Was stoked to be relatively near personal best times while under training fatigue. Thought I’d share videos for my American mates who always wonder what the hell I’m doing. My second and last ever Aussie short-course champs. It’s been real."
Simpson's statement that the short course championships were his last would appear to give a huge hint that he won't be swimming at this time next year. The 2024 short course championships will take place in October, nearly three months after the end of the Paris Olympics.
Simpson has said his dream is to compete for Australia at the Olympic Games, but his chances are looking slim. His personal best time for the 100m freestyle is 49.11, and for the 100m butterfly it's 51.78. But the qualifying times for the Paris Olympics are 48.34 in the 100m free and 51.67 in the 100m fly.
Simpson still has a chance to qualify for the Olympics at the next national long-course championships, but only the top two swimmers in each event will make it. He is currently up against some very stiff competition in the freestyle and butterfly, with Kyle Chalmers his most notable rival in the 100m free.
Cody Simpson found love with Emma McKeon in swimming
Simpson was an excellent swimmer as a child and won an Australian title at age 13. But he didn't come go professional until 2020, when he left his music career to get back into the sport.
He made his first Australian team at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, but failed to qualify for the world championships earlier this year. He won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games as a heat swimmer in the 4x100m relay team.
"Two months ago, I wasn't even sure I would be here, I was just trying to get on the team," he said at the time. "So this is pretty cool. It's cool because my mind is swimming and the sport of swimming, the training and the racing."
The 26-year-old said he had no regrets about stepping away from global pop fame for the grind of the pool. "The whole thing is suited to my personality and my mind," Simpson said. "It's very rewarding to me to just do it and train on a daily basis. I didn't find it too hard to kind of adjust to the lifestyle and integrate myself into my training environment. I'm living just the way any other swimmer is doing at this point."
If nothing else, Simpson's move to swimming has helped him find love with fellow Aussie superstar Emma McKeon. The loved-up couple recently attended the wedding of fellow swimmer Mack Horton together.
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