Cody Simpson shocks swimming world to qualify for Australian team

Cody Simpson has shocked the swimming world after qualifying for the Australian team for this year's world titles and Commonwealth Games.

The former pop star finished third in the men's 100m butterfly final at the national championships in Adelaide on Wednesday night.

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Swimmers finishing in the top two in a final at the nationals gain selection for the world titles, and the top three place-getters earn a spot for the Commonwealth Games.

Simpson finished third behind winner Matt Temple and Olympic gold medallist Kyle Chalmers, however Chalmers will skip the world titles to focus on the Commonwealth Games.

Chalmers' decision to bypass the worlds means Simpson is a likely discretionary selection for Budapest, while being a certainty for the Commonwealth Games.

"I certainly didn't even expect it to even be a possibility until 2024," Simpson said of being on the Australian team.

"The fact that stuff has started to happen so quickly, so early, is just unreal."

A talented junior swimmer who put his music career on hold to return to the sport in 2020, Simpson clocked 51.96s on Wednesday night - the exact qualifying time.

"That's a dream come true. I had a great swim this morning and so much progress since last year," said Simpson, who has made three albums, toured the world, worked with Justin Bieber and dated celebrities Miley Cyrus and Gigi Hadid.

"I didn't even think I'd be remotely competitive until this year at the earliest, so to make the team is just a bonus on the way to Paris (Olympics in 2024)."

Swimming fans were in awe of Simpson's efforts.

Shayna Jack qualifies in comeback from doping ban

Meanwhile, Shayna Jack has also qualified after finishing second in the women's 100m freestyle final.

Jack was initially banned for four years after testing positive to the banned substance Ligandrol about three weeks before the 2019 world championships.

The Queenslander's suspension was reduced to two years on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which found Jack did not knowingly ingest the substance.

The 23-year-old wept tears of joy after finishing second behind Mollie O'Callaghan in the final.

That feat earns her automatic selection for the world championships in Budapest in June and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in July-August.

"I am just overwhelmed with emotions to be back on the team," a teary Jack said.

"Not many people really know what I actually went through, the depths of it.

"And to be back and wearing those (Australian) colours again means more than anything to me."

Ariarne Titmus, who dethroned American great Katie Ledecky to take the 200m and 400m gold in Tokyo, is racing both those events in Adelaide, but also opted to compete in the 100m.

She finished fifth on Wednesday night.

Titmus is skipping the world titleds but will compete at the Commonwealth Games.

Australia has long had huge depth in the 100 freestyke, and seven of the eight finalists going under the FINA-qualifying time for the world titles.

Other winners on Wednesday night included Elijah Winnington (men's 400m freestyle), Jenna Strauch (women's 100m breaststroke) and Josh Edwards-Smith (men's 200m backstroke).

with agencies

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