Aussie speedster Bronte Campbell raced her way through several stops of the FINA World Cup that just concluded last month, but it’s clear the 23-year-old Olympian is physically hurting. Twice a world champion back in 2015, ‘C2’, as the younger Campbell sister is often called, finished off the podium in her signature 50m and 100m freestyle events at the 2016 Olympic Games, while also settling for 8th and 7th respective places in Budapest.
However, the ailing athlete is doing her best to simply hold on to qualify for and then compete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games slated for the Gold Coast in her home state.
“I have to get everything back to normal, so I’m going to Comm Games and then I’m having a big break and just doing rehab for maybe two or three months to try to get right,’’ Campbell told The Australian this week. In addition to her ongoing left shoulder, right shoulder and right hip injuries, C2 now said the traveling and sitting during the World Cups is now affecting her back.
“I’m slowly falling apart, but we’re working hard to put it all back together and hopefully we’ll be right for Comm Games. I think that I can get through to there.’’
Campbell said she was hoping to just fight through the pain and injuries through Tokyo 2020, but her body is telling her otherwise.
“I was hoping I could just keep going and battle through (to the Tokyo Olympics) but that’s not going to happen.’’
The Commonwealth Games Trials for Australian swimming is scheduled for February 28th-March 3rd, while the Games will take place April 4th-15th, 2018.
As an American, I don’t understand the huge importance placed on the Commonwealths Games. What’s the big deal?
The Commonwealth holds a big cultural significance that transcends sport. As an American, it would be an unfamiliar feeling, because we don’t sort of have the same connection to millenia of cultural history that places like the UK do. In the UK and Australia, they probably don’t understand the importance placed on the NCAA, for example – different cultural influences.
We were colonized by them what are you talking about
That is correct.
Watch the patriot…. I think that sums the English in America in the late 1790s
You’re correct Braden . It is important in the Australian swimming mindset. Especially with Comm games being held in SE Qld which is the centre of strength for Aus swimming. The more racing the better
Actually, the Commonwealth stands for very little these days. Whilst almost all the Commonwealth countries share a British colonial past; there is little other homogenity. Many of them are republics rather than having QEII as nominal head of state and look to other international groupings for their intl “security” relations rather than to London. Some but not all have adapted the Westminster parliamentary/UK common law systems for their own usages but economically; any Imperial/Commonwealth preference in trade went out the window over 40 years ago when the UK joined the European Common Market but many had already struck out on their own as regards trade. The last time that Commonwealth influence was ever seen to work was in the late… Read more »
Well fo one, it’s always extra special to compete in an international event on home soil.
Aw jeez, that sucks.
I feel like the bigger headline is she’s insinuating fairly strongly that she’s done after Comm Games, yes?
She’s hoping her body will hold up for the Commonwealth Games (since she lives in QLD – that’s the main reason she doesn’t want to miss them) and then she will take time off to sort out body before Tokyo.
That’s the same way Sullivan went
If she recognizes the problem now, she should just take some time off now. I’ve said this before, but the Commonwealth games is the most overrated meet ever
Weak body, weak mind. Runs in the family. Destined for dissapointment. Something needs to change in that house.
No. Bronte has outperformed her talent by a long way. She was never ‘another Care’ – she fought to get every ounce of ability out. On raw ability, she is not entitled to be a 100fr World Champion in this era. But, she is… If you call that weak-mindedness, I’d love to know what a strong mind looks like.
100% agree, Dee. The charge of mental fragility can most certainly be laid against C1 but C2 is a very different creature. Whilst medallist quality at her best at 100, she lacks the WR breaking potential of her older sister but her performances both in Rio and Budapest were no mental collapses but rather the maximum she could drag out of an injury compromised body.
Her wisdom in continuing to train and compete under these circumstances is most certainly open to question but not her mental toughness or character. Those are two very different characteristics.
Weak? Bronte is the definition of pushing her physical body to the limits. She doesn’t have the physical gifts of Manuel, Sjostrom or her sister. And yet she became 100m world champion. And she broke her body to do it
Just the latest Australian sprinter to suffer injury. Eamon Sullivan, James Magnussen, now Ms. Campbell. These swimmers are/were too great and too young to suffer like that. Coaches need to rethink their approach.
Add big sister to that equation. Was out from 2009 to end 2011 with hip issues and had shoulder surgery late 2014. Coaching and biomechanics DO, I suspect, have something to do with it but Sullivan & the Campbells are both comparatively lightly built for their events.
if I had to hazard a guess I would say the Australian coaches push too much anaerobic/power work on their promising sprinters at a young age. Their bodies aren’t prepared to handle it and break down. They must rethink this.
🙁