Just one second separates pop star turned swimmer Cody Simpson from Olympic fairytale – as McEvoy, Titmus flex muscle ahead of Games

Just one second will determine whether Cody Simpson will fulfill his Olympic dream in Paris over the next eight weeks.

Simpson, once known for his pop singing career, has contemplated retirement and is making a huge leap toward realizing his Olympic fairytale in Paris.

And now the equation is clear for the partner of the Australian superfish Emma McKeon: make sure you are one second faster and book your ticket for the Games.

The 26-year-old is part of a large Aussie contingent competing at the Australian Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast, where he finished fourth in the 100m butterfly, with a time half a second slower than his best.

Simpson’s challenge is tough. He needs to improve his time by a full second to have a chance at the Olympics, especially in the highly competitive 100m butterfly.

Simpson finished fourth at the Australian Championships, but was a second off his fastest pace

Simpson competes with some younger swimmers in good shape but could still make the Olympics on the 100-meter freestyle relay team

His main competitors are putting in strong performances, with Matt Temple leading the charge and others such as Shaun Champion and Ben Armbruster also vying for a spot on the Olympic team.

Before turning to swimming, Simpson had a successful music career, collaborated with stars like Justin Bieber and dated notable figures like Miley Cyrus.

However, he chose to leave the glamorous life of a pop star behind to focus on swimming, with the aim of fulfilling his childhood dream of competing in the Olympic Games.

Simpson’s best chance of making it to the Olympics may be in the 100-meter freestyle. If he can be among the top six swimmers in this event, he could join the men’s world champion relay team, gaining entry to Paris.

With the Olympic trials in Brisbane approaching on June 10, Simpson has just eight weeks to make this a reality.

Meanwhile, in other results at the Australian Swimming Championships, Cameron McEvoy defeated Kyle Chalmers in a highly anticipated 50m freestyle final, securing a victory with a time of 21.93 seconds.

McEvoy credits a new training program for his strong form ahead of the Paris Olympics

Titmus won the 400 meter freestyle with the fastest time of the year, marking her first swim time of less than four minutes in a competition

Strauch dominated at all three distances in the women’s breaststroke and is a big hope for the Australian team in Paris

McEvoy, who has previously achieved worldwide success, attributes his achievements to unconventional training methods that focus on strength work outside the pool.

“It’s good, 22.1 last year and it’s always good to be 21, it’s nice to have that under my belt,” McEvoy told the Nine Network.

“Eight more weeks, things are looking good.”

Meanwhile, Ariarne Titmus showed her readiness for the Olympics by winning the 400m freestyle with the fastest time of the year, marking her first sub-four-minute swim in the competition.

“This is the first time I’ve done under four (minutes), which is really good… it’s a good sign,” she said.

“I know a lot of people are willing to hire me and I’m just trying to use it in the best way I can.”

Jenna Strauch dominated the breaststroke events, winning gold over three distances.

Matt Temple won the 100m butterfly and experimented with new racing strategies. Kaylee McKeown and Will Petric also recorded victories in their respective events, highlighting their potential for the competitions to come.