Australian swimming superstar is considering coming out of retirement to swim under Leigh Nugent, the Sydney Morning Herald’s Michael Cowley reported this morning. Trickett retired in December, and is a former world champion in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly.
As we’ve reported over the last several days, former Australian Head Coach Alan Thompson resigned last week over a reduction of duty handed down from the Swim Australia brass, which was the result of several months of tension between Thompson and the board of directors.
Nugent is the front-runner to replace Thompson when the position officially opens for candidates next week, and is currently the head of the youth program. Nugent has said that he will call Trickett and ask her about her interest in returning to swimming, and Trickett has said she will make a return.
Removing reporting hat, replacing with speculation hat
This latest development makes me wonder whether there might have been some tension between Trickett and Thompson that caused her premature retirement. At the age of 25, Trickett clearly still has something left to offer the sport, considering she won 4 medals (including 2 golds) and narrowly missed a 5th at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Or perhaps she simply clicks well with Nugent, as Nugent led the senior team to it’s most successful medal haul since 1956 at the 2004 Athens Olympics before returning to his post as youth team coach. The 2004 Olympics were Trickett’s first, and where she won her first gold medal.
