- Cameron McEvoy abandoned lengthy pool sessions in preparation for the Paris Games
- Incorporated strength training and rock climbing into his regimen
- Daring strategy paid off with McEvoy securing gold in the 50m freestyle final
Australian Cameron McEvoy has officially become an Olympic gold medallist by winning the 50m freestyle, and his unconventional training approach ahead of the Paris Games might influence how athletes prepare in the future.
Balancing his pursuits as an astrophysicist and swimmer, the 30-year-old replaced monotonous pool laps with rock climbing and high-intensity workouts at his training base on the Gold Coast.
He transformed from the typical lean swimmer’s physique to one characterized by strength and muscle.
This daring shift proved successful as McEvoy completed the race in an impressive 21.25 seconds at the La Défense Arena, ahead of Great Britain’s Ben Proud and local favorite Florent Manaudou.
With this victory, McEvoy also overcame the disappointments from the Rio Games eight years prior, where he entered as the favorite for the 100m freestyle but finished seventh.
‘The outcome I aimed for is achieved, but conveying the journey over the last two years and the path I took to reach this is challenging,’ he reflected after the race.
‘Winning the gold medal is merely the culmination of a much larger process.’
‘The proactive journey over the past two years, starting from scratch, evolving, and observing its possibilities, with me being the experimental subject and tracing where it would lead me.
Aussie Cameron McEvoy is officially an Olympic gold medallist after winning the 50m freestyle – and his radical preparation ahead of the Paris Games could change how other athletes approach their craft
The Aussie touched the wall in a slick 21.25 seconds at the La Défense Arena ahead of Great Britain’s Ben Proud and local hope Florent Manaudou (right)
‘That’s an achievement I’ll find difficult to match in my life, something I will cherish forever.’
Adding significance to his triumph in the City of Love, McEvoy previously took a prolonged hiatus from swimming after the Tokyo Olympics three years ago when he felt disenchanted with the sport.
‘I was essentially exhausted,’ he told Channel Nine’s Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo.
‘Following Tokyo, I was considering retirement…. I had no intention of returning to the sport.’
‘I explored rock climbing, engaged in various gym workouts, and participated in numerous other sports, anything but swimming.
‘The more I discovered about other sports, the more I began to question how that could be integrated into swimming. That newfound curiosity grew.
McEvoy now stands alongside Kaylee McKeown (women’s 100m and 200m backstroke), Ariarne Titmus (women’s 400m freestyle), the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team, Mollie O’Callaghan (women’s 200m freestyle), and the women’s 4x200m freestyle team as Australian gold medalists in the French capital.
He is also open to the possibility of defending his title in Los Angeles in 2028, and even competing in Brisbane in eight years is not off the table.
‘A home Games would be absolutely incredible. I’ll be 38, and there have been swimmers who have won world championships at that age,’ he remarked.
‘Let’s see what Father Time has in store for me.’
