According to Todd Balym of the Herald Sun, 34-year old Grant Hackett is planning a return to competitive swimming 8 months after leaving a rehab facility for a Stilnox addiction.
In an interview, Hackett tells the Herald Sun that he re-entered the ASADA drug testing pool in December, meaning that he is able to compete at the Australian World Championship Trials in April.
“I probably haven’t felt this good since 2004,” Hackett said. “This year I’ve just really got my passion back for it. I do set myself little goals and little times and I’m trying to improve, that’s just the sort of person I am.
Hackett is one of the greatest distance swimmers in the history of swimming, and has a total of 17 World Championships and 7 Olympic medals on his resume. He’s still the World Record holder in the 800 and 1500 freestyles in short course meters as well, including 13 years later in the men’s 1500.
While Hackett is unlikely to regain that same level of form (and he said he has no “fantasy” about that), at 35 years old, he’s not as old as his resume might seem, given that he swam his first World Championship meet in 1997 (where he already won gold in two events at just 17-years old.
Hackett’s last major racing was done at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, where he won individual silver in the 1500 free and a relay bronze in the 800 free relay.
Yep, agree with the above comments. No way he is going to be anywhere near his best in 400 to 1500. His best hope is Australia’s top 6 in 200 free to get selected for Rio prelims relay.
His stated aim is to be on the club relay . This relay would have him fighting for the 4th man after Daniel Smith , Fraser – Holmes & Jordy Harrison. That is a pretty good incentive .btw he is looking amazing .
It also sheds light on Aust Swimming refusing to let Sun train back at Miami. Their priority is Hackett’. They were no doubt weighing it up but the drug infringement opened the door.
Agree with the assessments above, but it always helps the sport when a former great makes a comeback because whether he succeeds or fails, his mere presence makes the sport more interesting.
Let’s say Phelps tries to hang on for 2020 (pure speculation). By that point he’ll probably be a shadow of his former self, and perhaps the big question will be whether he has a realistic shot at the second place spot in the 100 fly. But do you think he won’t still be bringing more interest to the sport, and putting more fans in the seats? He’d still be a huge draw, and that’s good for everyone in the sport.
What if Grant surprises us all and destroys Sun’s record?
Best case scenario, is a 4×200 spot.
If Grant Hackett DESTROYS Sun Yang’s record, well, expect slower ascents at the tour de france, because all the EPO will have gone into Grant’s veins.
As a middle aged swimmer, I love these comebacks. Training for our best with reduced recuperative abilities is something a lot of us can relate to.
Good to see this guy back in the sport. Legend!
Idk how good he could be. He won’t medal in the 400-1500. Maybe a relay spot on the 200?
So far, most of the successful comebacks we’ve witnessed have been in sprint events. I doubt that Hackett will be a medal threat in the 400-1500, as great as he was.
Perhaps the greatest chance for Hackett to contribute will be in the 4×200 relay. If Australia gets some extra depth (on top of Fraser-Holmes, McEvoy, and a young and quickly improving Horton) they could be quite strong at that race, as they have historically been. I could realistically see Hackett getting back to the mid 1:46 range if he is serious about training and has maintained his athleticism.