Rooney's bold gold rush call as Aussies eye Paris

Mollie O’Callaghan could be set for an “absolute swag of gold medals”, Kyle Chalmers has a “great chance” of conquering the pool and Australia is headed for a record-breaking gold medal haul.

That’s the thinking of Australian swimming great Giaan Rooney 100 days out from the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

Three years after Australia secured nine gold medals at the Tokyo Games to post its highest-ever gold medal tally at an Olympics, Rooney believes the Dolphins will have even greater success in France across July and August.

GALLERY: Australia’s top gold medal hopes for Paris

“I do, I actually really do. I hate publicly saying that and I hate publicly saying how many gold medals we should win, but I feel really confident this year with the calibre of athletes we have,” Rooney, one of Nine’s expert swimming commentators for the Paris Games, told Wide World of Sports.

“So, yep, I’m confident [the record can be broken].”

In addition to O’Callaghan and Chalmers, Australia has genuine individual gold medal prospects in Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon, Ariarne Titmus — who Rooney described as an “absolute warrior” — Zac Stubblety-Cook, Sam Short and Cameron McEvoy. Every one of those swimmers have won Olympic or world championship gold, and some have won both.

The Dolphins’ best relay chance is in the women’s 4x100m freestyle, in which a team led by O’Callaghan and McKeon will be gunning for Australia’s fourth gold medal in succession.

In an indication of the resounding success that could be awaiting the Dolphins, they won a record-equalling 13 gold medals at the world championships in Fukuoka last year, matching the mark they had set at the 2001 and 2005 editions.

“I was part of the 2000 and 2004 Olympic teams, which were incredible years for us. They were the records before Tokyo came along. I just feel that we had a great mix of wisdom and youth on the teams, and that’s what I’m excited about before Paris,” Rooney said.

“We saw it in Tokyo and I’m even more excited about it now. We have that mixture of those vying for their first Olympic gold medal, those being defending champions and those looking to possibly end their career at an Olympic level in Paris. I think that creates this really great dynamic where you have a lot of hungry athletes for many different reasons, and that usually means success.”

Rooney’s bold gold rush call as Aussies eye Paris

O’Callaghan, the red-headed 20-year-old phenom from Ipswich, made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games, but only as a relay swimmer.

She’s since become one of the most formidable forces in global swimming, winning three individual world titles in the women’s 100m and 200m freestyle events, and claiming the women’s 200m freestyle world record with a time of one minute and 52.85 seconds (1:52.85).

Although unlikely, it’s possible that O’Callaghan takes home six gold medals from the French capital, in the 100m and 200m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle, 4x100m medley and 4x100m mixed medley.

“I think she’s one of the strongest contenders across the board,” Rooney said.

“In my mind, Mollie wins the 100m-200m double and the girls win the 4x100m freestyle relay … The list goes on. Mollie could very realistically come away with an absolute swag of gold medals around her neck.”

Chalmers will square off in Paris with the two fastest 100m freestylers in history: 19-year-old speed demons Pan Zhanle (China) and David Popovici (Romania), who’ve clocked 46.80 and 46.86 respectively.

Another of Chalmers’ rivals is American Caeleb Dressel. He hasn’t cracked the 48-second barrier since April 2022, but it wouldn’t be wise to write off the reigning Olympic gold medallist and a three-time world champion in the event.

Chalmers won 100m freestyle gold at Rio 2016 and finished second to Dressel in Tokyo.

He then clinched the 100m freestyle title at last year’s world championships.

The South Australian is pushing to join the 46-second club — his personal best is 47.08 — and is hell-bent on returning to the top of the Olympic podium.

“I actually think he’s got a great chance, to be completely honest. I really like where Kyle sits in the scheme of the men’s 100m free coming into Paris,” Rooney said.

“He is a much more mature athlete this time around … and I think he has put everything into this last training cycle to win this Olympic gold medal again over the 100m free.

“Kyle is one of the greatest racers we’ve seen. It will all come to who’s in the race and where they are positioned in the lanes. Kyle is a racer. He’s not necessarily chasing a time … It all comes down to him for the want and the will to win, and he has proven over and over again that he can find a way. He breathes to the right-hand side, and if he has his competitors lined up in front of him on his right-hand side with 15 metres to go, I believe he can get to the wall first.”