Cate Campbell’s famed Olympic career is over, with the four-time gold medallist failing to make Australia’s swim team for the Paris Games.

Cate Campbell wished for the fairytale ending, but says her illustrious Olympic career finishes in peace and with love.

The four-time gold medallist has failed in her bid to become the first Australian to swim at five Olympics.

“I came back to try something that no one has done before,” Campbell said.

“And, by God, I gave it a really good crack.”

Cate Campbell blows kisses to the crowd after failing to qualify.

The 32-year-old finished seventh in the women’s 50m freestyle at Australia’s Olympic selection trials on Saturday night in Brisbane.

Only the top two place-getters – Shayna Jack and Meg Harris – will race the event at the Paris Games starting on July 26.

Campbell, after missing qualifying for the 100m freestyle final by one-hundredth of a second on Friday night, ends her Olympic career with four gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

“It’s bitter-sweet,” she said.

“I had hoped for the fairytale ending and it’s what I had worked for and what I felt I was capable of, and unfortunately my body just said no.

“I came out and I gave it everything. I wasn’t going to throw in the towel, pardon the pun … unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.”

Campbell, who was Australia’s joint flag-bearer at the Tokyo Olympics of 2021, raced her first swim competition about 20 years ago at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre, where her storied career ends.

“I started in the sport because I was a little girl who loved swimming, I did, I loved it more than anything else,” she said.

“And over the years that love has been tried and tested and that relationship has been pushed to its absolute limits and its breaking point.

“I walked out tonight and I remembered that little girl who walked out behind those blocks for the first time and I remembered the joy and the love that I have for this sport.

“And I can leave the pool with peace and with love, which is a beautiful place to be.”

Swimming Australia head coach Rohan Taylor hopes Campbell isn’t lost to the sport.

“Her contribution is immense,” Taylor said.

“Her presence on the team, her leadership, her poise, who she is as a person, is probably the key thing, and her legacy in swimming is undeniable.

“Just a real consistent person with a great nature who will hopefully stay involved … and help develop the next group coming through.”

Australia will announce its swim team for the Paris Olympics after the final event of the trials later on Saturday night.

Swimmers to honour legacy

A batch of swimmers on the team say they plan to honour Campbell’s legacy at the Paris Games starting next month.

Chief among them is Shayna Jack, who has claimed individual freestyle berths in the 50m and 100m.

“It is beyond words,” Jack said of Campbell’s impact on Australian swimming.

“She will forever be idolised and an inspiration to all of us.

“She has achieved phenomenal feats and all we can do is hope to continue to make her proud and make Australia proud and represent the country with pride.”

Australia’s most successful Olympian, Emma McKeon, said Campbell’s influence would loom large, even while absent.

“She has inspired all of us,” said McKeon ahead of her third Olympics. “She has been at the top of the sprint freestyle game for I don’t even know how long, longer than I’ve been swimming probably.

“She’s brought sprint freestyle, nationally and internationally, to the level that we’re at. So we have got her to thank for where we are.”

Simpson returns to music

Cody Simpson says he’ll return to the entertainment industry after his bittersweet failure to make Australia’s Olympic swim team.

Simpson, a global teen pop star who halted his music career to return to the pool, has missed selection on Australia’s team for the looming Paris Olympics.

The 27-year-old finish fifth in the 100m butterfly final at Australia’s selection trials in Brisbane on Saturday night.

“It’s bittersweet,” Simpson said.

“But I did what I could do – and that’s all you can do.”

Simpson reacts after finishing fifth in the 100m butterfly final. Photo: AAP

Simpson’s mother Angie and father Brad both swam for Australia, at the 1987 Pan-Pacific Games and 1994 Commonwealth Games respectively.

Simpson was a promising junior swimmer and, aged 12, won two gold medals at the Queensland state championships in 2009.

That year, the singer-guitarist posted some songs on YouTube and was discovered by an American music manager – his family moved to Los Angeles in 2010 and fame followed.

But four years ago, Simpson couldn’t ignore the itch to return to competitive swimming.

“Just to do right by that kid in me … I wanted to come in these last four years and just have a real good go,” he said.

“To have the chance to be swimming for my country and make Australian teams and medal internationally … is just something that not a lot of swimmers get to achieve or get to experience.

“And I have had the privilege to do that and that’s something that I’ll never forget and that nobody will ever be able take away from me.”

Simpson swam at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and collected a gold medal as a heat swimmer in Australia’s triumphant 4x100m freestyle relay.

“I feel really proud … to satisfy the fire that was inside me to compete and swim again and push myself in training,” he said.

“The discipline and resilience and perseverance that swimming has again instilled in me is something that I’m really excited to implement in my future endeavours because it has just helped me grow so much.

“And how I can take that back into music and entertainment and see what I can do – there’s some exciting projects lined up for after this that I was going to go back and do regardless of how this week went.”

AUSTRALIA’S OLYMPIC SWIM TEAM

Fourth Olympic Games: Bronte Campbell, Cameron McEvoy

Third Olympics: Kyle Chalmers, Emma McKeon, Brianna Throssell

Second Olympics: Isaac Cooper, Meg Harris, Zac Incerti, Se-Bom Lee, Kaylee McKeown, Thomas Neill, Mollie O’Callaghan, Brendon Smith, Jenna Strauch, Zac Stubblety-Cook, Matthew Temple, Ariarne Titmus, Elijah Winnington

Debut Olympics: Iona Anderson, Ben Armbruster, Jaclyn Barclay, Jack Cartwright, Abbey Connor, Elizabeth Dekkers, Jenna Forrester, Max Giuliani, Shayna Jack, Lani Pallister, Alexandria Perkins, Jamie Perkins, William Petric, Ella Ramsay, Samuel Short, Flynn Southam, Kai Taylor, Samuel Williamson, Bradley Woodward, Olivia Wunsch, William Yang, Joshua Yong

Footnote: Moesha Johnson, already selected in marathon swimming, will also be entered in the 1500m freestyle at the pool

—AAP