The time to beat (or equal) for Simpson, who once dated the likes of Miley Cyrus and Gigi Hadid, in the two-lap butterfly event is 51.17 seconds.
Simpson clocked 52.94 in the 100m butterfly at the Australian trials in 2021 before the Tokyo Olympics, Three years on, his personal best is 51.67.
Half a second doesn’t sound like much, but Simpson faces a huge battle to slice that time off his lifetime best.
Even then, he would not be guaranteed to become an Olympian. Matt Temple is Australia’s premier male butterfly swimmer, having finished fifth in Tokyo (50.92) and fourth at last year’s world championships (50.81).
Butterfly swimmer Matt Temple.Credit: Delly Carr/Swimming Australia
If Temple swims near his personal best (50.25), he should win the 100m butterfly on Saturday evening. Second place is a toss-up between the likes of Shaun Champion (personal best of 51.54), Ben Armbruster (51.67) and Kyle Chalmers (51.61).
“He has positioned himself nicely to challenge his PBs at this competition, and we are looking forward to the challenge,” Bohl said. “I am very proud of what he has been able to do in a very short period of time. He is very athletic and his work ethic is up there with the best in our group.”
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Simpson finished fourth in the 100m butterfly at the Australian championships in April, just over a second behind Champion in second place. Simpson was ninth in the 100m freestyle.
Simpson seems at peace with the prospect that he could fall just short in his bid to become an Olympian. The likelihood of him swimming on and sacrificing everything for another four-year cycle for a shot at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles are slim.
In March, Simpson posted a photo to his 5.1 million Instagram followers, reflecting on a journey which started in the USA with then coach Brett Hawke, a former Australian sprinter who competed at two Olympics (2000 and 2004).
“Four years ago some laughed and said I’d never get anywhere near here,” Simpson wrote in a caption. “Four years ago, the idea of swimming for Australia after 10 years out of the water sounded like a joke to most, especially for a musician like me. Within two years, it was reality.
“There is no blueprint for this path. Every day, I strive, and even in failure, I succeed because I have strived. That’s the best part.”
Klim knows how difficult it will be for Simpson to make the team.
“I made a comeback in 2012 and I struggled to make a final,” Klim said. “It’s very hard for anyone who’s been away from the sport and then coming back. He looks in great shape.”
2024 Australian swimming trials; exclusive, live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now from Monday June 10. Finals start at 7.30pm AEST each night.