Singer-songwriter Cody Simpson shared news on Saturday that he has qualified for his first Olympic trials in his native Australia.
According to Swimming Australia, he finished the 100m butterfly in 54.9 seconds, beating the qualifying time of 56.87 seconds. (Singapore's Joseph Schooling won gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics with a time of 50.39 seconds.)
Simpson advances to the trials next June, which determine who will be nominated to represent Australia at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
In an Instagram post, Simpson, 23, reflected on how he paused his swimming career a decade ago – he won a pair of gold medals at the 2009 Queensland Swimming Championships – to pursue music.
“I have had the chance to experience and learn so much as a musician from touring around the world, releasing albums, performing as a leading man on Broadway, publishing a work of poetry, traveling with and speaking at the United Nations on environmental and oceanic matters and much more,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “For this I will be forever grateful.”
Simpson said he longed to return to the pool and decided this year to train again. “After only 5 months back in the water … I was able to take out a win and secure a spot at next years (sic) Australian Olympic trials in the [100m butterfly].”
Simpson is being coached by Brett Hawke, who represented Australia at the Olympic Summer Games in 2000 and 2004.
In an Instagram post in October, Simpson described his passion for swimming. "I dig this sport and I always have," he wrote. "I dig the flow, power and discipline it teaches me. New life is coming in."
Two years ago, Simpson posted a photo of himself in nothing but a pair of white briefs and described his toned physique as "been swimming type."
Simpson was discovered after posting cover songs on YouTube and released three studio albums between 2012 and 2015. He competed on Season 18 of Dancing With the Stars, had a run as Dmitry in the Broadway musical Anastasia last year and won the first season of the Australian version of The Masked Singer.
Earlier this year, he did drag in the video for "Captain’s Dance With the Devil,” a song inspired by his poetry collection Prince Neptune. Simpson admitted he has "an affinity for drag" and said he hoped the video inspired others "to be, act and dress however they please."