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Australian swim star to undergo heart surgery, miss world champs

Kyle Chalmers, the Olympic 100m freestyle champion, will undergo heart surgery and miss the world championships in July.

The 18-year-old Chalmers has Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT), an elevated-heart-rate condition that can cause chest pain and fainting. Chalmers has had three “attacks” this year related to his condition, according to 7 News in Australia.

“We decided it was in Kyle’s best long-term interest to get the surgery done sooner rather than later,” Chalmers’ coach, Peter Bishop, said in a Swimming Australia press release. “This will enable Kyle a good recovery period, before preparing for a home Commonwealth Games in 2018.