Kai Taylor

As Kai Taylor prepared for the final of the 200m freestyle at the 2023 Australian swimming trials, his mum gave him a few words of advice: “Great things happen from lane eight.” 

She would know. Kai’s mum, of course, is Hayley Lewis, a legend of Australian swimming who won seven Commonwealth Games gold medals, Olympic silver and bronze and was Australia’s youngest ever world champion swimmer. 

In 1991, 13 years before Kai was born, Hayley won a gold medal in the 200m freestyle at the world championships in Perth, storming home from lane eight. 

Three decades later, Kai was not even supposed to be in the race at the Australian trials, having buckled under the pressure and finished as the ninth-fastest qualifier, missing the final by one spot. 

But when the fastest qualifier, Kyle Chalmers, decided to skip the 200m final to concentrate on other events, Kai got his chance in lane eight. 

Facing a hot field including Thomas Neill, Elijah Winnington and Flynn Southam, Kai hit the water with his mum’s words ringing in his ears. 

Hayley could hardly contain herself as he hit the front early, held on to his lead and touched the wall first in 1:46.25s. 

The son of a champion had announced himself as a star of the future. 

Twenty-two years after his mum won her last international medal in the 5km open water event at the 2001 world championships in Fukuoka, Kai was back in the Japanese city for the 2023 Championships. 

He opened the meet by claiming gold as part of the Australian team that won the 4x100m freestyle relay. 

Kai failed to qualify for the 200m freestyle final, but contributed to Australia’s team that won bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay. 

At the 2024 World Championships in Doha, Kai was a member of the team that won silver in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay. 

Later in the year he finished third, behind Kyle Chalmers and William Yang, in the men’s 100m freestyle at the 2024 Australian Championships.