Portugal Colonial - Chalmers urges McEvoy to swim in Australia 4x100m relay team at Olympics

McEvoy, 31, was part of the country's 4x100m freestyle team that claimed bronze at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021. But he skipped the event at Paris in 2024 when they won silver.

Chalmers was a member of all three medal-winning squads and wants McEvoy back on board so Australia have a better chance to take down their all-conquering American arch-rivals.

"I actually want to message him and just say, 'Cam, if you want to be a part of that relay team, I'll give up my spot as the anchor'," Chalmers, 27, told local media on the sidelines of the Australian Open on Monday evening.

"I'll swim the heat so he can rest and be straight to the final.

"If it was to work out, I feel we would have a very good chance of beating America at their home Olympics, which is on night number one which would set the team up for an amazing week in the pool."

Olympic champion McEvoy clocked 20.88sec at the China Open last month to shatter the 17-year-old 50m freestyle world record set by Cesar Cielo in the era of polyurethane bodysuits.

He is not swimming at the Australian Open and has yet to indicate whether he would be open to a return to the longer distance.

A.Aguiar--PC