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Back From Break, Flynn Southam Snaps Kyle Chalmers 100 Free Aussie Age Record

2021 QUEENSLAND SHORT COURSE C’SHIPS

Day 2 of the 2021 Queensland Short Course Championships saw a significant age record bite the dust at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.

Competing in the men’s open 100m freestyle, 16-year-old Flynn Southam cranked out a big-time lifetime best, hitting the wall in a result of 48.05.

Entering this meet, Southam had never before been under 51, with the Bond swimmer’s personal best from 2019 resting at 51.50. He was 51.58 in 2020 but nowhere near the 48.05 he just threw down to scorch the field by well over a second.

Southam remarkably essentially event-split this race today, opening in 24.01 and bringing it home nearly exactly the same way in 24.04.

With his 48.05 performance, Southam easily overtook the previous Australian national age record for 16-year-olds which stood at 48.65. That mark was produced by 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers whose performance at the age 16 snagged the record away from legend Ian Thorpe (48.74).

This isn’t the first time Southam claimed an age record once held by Chalmers.

In December of 2020, a then-15-year-old Southam broke through in a big way, firing off a big lifetime best of 49.66 in the men’s 100m freestyle at the Queensland LC Championships. His time overtook the Aussie Age Record of 49.68 also held Chalmers. Southam would drop that done to 49.55 in April of this year before taking a short break and not pursuing Tokyo.

Of note, pop star Cody Simpson was a no-show in this event, as he also was in the 100m butterfly.

2019 World Championships in the 200m free, Clyde Lewis, was in this 100m free field, placing 9th in 49.81.

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Troyy
3 years ago

Southam uploaded clips of the 100 free and 100 back to YT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW9zafpFbug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu4_7RTUFMM

Troyy
3 years ago

I really wanted to see what he can do in the 200 free but he scratched it (also scratched it at age champs earlier this year).

Just give the trophy to the condors already
3 years ago

24.0/24.0 is damn good, watch out for him next year in fukuoka already, these young guns are growing fast

Majer99
3 years ago

Not that it wasn’t a great swim but this is SCM and probably not as special as his earlier record breaking swim in LCM

Last edited 3 years ago by Majer99
swimmer5
3 years ago

Jesus Christ back in 24.0 what is happening

oxyswim
Reply to  swimmer5
3 years ago

How do you even split a 100 freestyle?

nuotofan
Reply to  swimmer5
3 years ago

And if the splits are correct, Southam swam his 53.62 in the 100 back with a 27.46 in the first half and a 26.16 in the second half…

PVSFree
Reply to  nuotofan
3 years ago

How do you even do that holy crap

2Fat4Speed
3 years ago

David Popovici ruined how I view the accomplishments of young male sprinters…

Corn Pop
Reply to  2Fat4Speed
3 years ago

That is your problem .

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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