Former ironwoman and cricket WAG Candice Warner has called out swimmer Kyle Chalmers for the media storm which followed his every move at the Commonwealth Games.
Speaking on the Back Page, Warner felt Chalmers didn’t handle the ‘love triangle’ well, which featured his ex-girlfriend Emma McKeon and her new man, pop star turned swimmer Cody Simpson.
The wife of Australian cricketer David Warner also felt Chalmers constantly craves gushing headlines, but anything remotely negative he can’t handle.
She pointed to the fact that Chalmers blocked out the noise to win gold in the 100m freestyle at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and wondered why he didn’t again channel his energy in Birmingham.
‘He knows how to deal with the pressure,’ Warner, who has endured plenty of negative publicity herself, said.
‘Why hasn’t Kyle put a self-imposed media ban (on himself) until the Games are over?
Former ironwoman and cricket WAG Candice Warner has called out Kyle Chalmers for the media storm which followed his every move at the Commonwealth Games
The wife of Australian cricketer David Warner also felt Chalmers craves gushing headlines, but anything negative he can’t handle (pictured, Chalmers after winning the 100m freestyle final)
‘I’m just a little bit confused by the situation and why he’s engaging with the media.
‘He’s not in the wrong, but he also has the power and ability to stop it and also just to focus on his swim events.’
Reports of possible rift between Chalmers and Simpson first surfaced at this year’s national championships in Adelaide, leading Warner to question why the 24-year-old wasn’t prepared for the barrage of questions he knew he would face from reporters in the UK.
‘Would there not have been a strategy put in place before these Games? We haven’t just started talking about this now, we’ve been speaking about this love triangle before the Commonwealth Games,’ Warner said.
She added ‘alpha male’ Chalmers may have been nursing a bruised ego after he and McKeon went their separate ways last year and she then began dating Simpson.
Chalmers, who won the 100m freestyle and was a member of the triumphant 4x100m freestyle relay winning teams in the men’s and mixed events, dropped a bombshell in Birmingham by stating he may not compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Pop turned turned swimmer Cody Simpson and golden girl Emma McKeon have been dragged into the ‘love triangle’ saga with Chalmers – yet have remained silent on the ‘issue’
Chalmers is likely to now take a break from the pool, with his mental health at ‘rock bottom.’
‘If I have to keep going through a similar thing (media scrutiny) I won’t last until Paris, I know that,’ he said after winning the 100m freestyle final.
‘It’s too challenging and not something I swim for. It has really set me back a lot. I really don’t know what’s next for me.’
He wasn’t finished yet, later posting on Instagram he is tired of the villain narrative.
‘Media hurts more then [sic] people realise, only so much we can take before enough is enough,’ he wrote.
‘Thank you media for ruining it for us all. Hope you’re all happy, sleeping well while we lay here sleepless and upset.’
His father also weighed in on the situation, breaking down on radio in Adelaide.
Speaking on Mix 102.3 to presenter Ali Clarke on Tuesday, Brett Chalmers praised his son for addressing the ‘constant negativity.’
Chalmers’ attack on social media claiming the negative attention had taken a toll on his teammates and stolen the spotlight from their achievements at the Commonwealth Games
Kyle Chalmers’ father Brett broke down on radio when describing what he feels is ‘harassment’ from the media in recent weeks
Mr Chalmers also felt Swimming Australia should have offered more support to the Olympic gold medallist.
‘It’s a form of bullying and harassment, these people (media) get away with it, they destroy people’s lives,’ he said before breaking down.
‘It has been hard watching Kyle go through all this alone, you feel helpless 15,000 kilometres away.
‘I feel Swimming Australia should have supported Kyle more.’
Mr Chalmers went on to single out former Aussie swimmer turned media identity Johanna Griggs, who on Monday said Chalmers needs to toughen up.
‘Everyone has jumped on the ‘Rockstar’ bandwagon,’ he fumed.
‘Do we ask Johanna Griggs about her personal life, and do we care about it?’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk