Australian world champion Sam Short has shed light on his performance at his Olympic Games and why he wasn’t at his best in Paris.
Short, the 2023 world champion in the men’s 400 freestyle who also won medals in the 800 and 1500 free, was well off the form he showed last year at the Games, failing to reach the podium and missing the final of the 800 and 1500 free.
On Wednesday, Short revealed that a “combination of illnesses and injuries” derailed his year and preparation for the Games, which included a reported gastro illness during the Australian Trials in June. The illness was severe enough for Short to withdraw from the 1500 free at the Trials.
“The last few weeks I’ve been reflecting on the year I’ve had and how my first ever Olympics went,” Short wrote. “In the eyes of myself and my team around me we can all admit it was a ‘failure’ in our eyes, but that doesn’t come without learning experiences and some really fun memories.
“A combination of illnesses and injuries ultimately derailed my year heading into trials and the games. It was likely I was never going to be in pb form, but I was always gonna race with all I had in the tank with no excuses. That’s what sports about!”
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The 20-year-old, who will turn 21 on Sept. 17, went on to say he’ll be taking some time away from training to rehab his shoulder before building back up for 2025.
“I’m having a big break and undergoing some important shoulder rehab to get me back on track for a big 2025 and beyond,” he said.
At the 2023 World Championships, Short won gold in the 400 free in epic fashion, producing a time of 3:40.68 which ranks #5 all-time in the event. He won silver in the 800 free in an Oceanic Record of 7:37.76, and added bronze in the 1500 free in another personal best of 14:37.28.
In Paris, he was 4th in the 400 free in 3:42.64, 14 one-hundredths shy of a medal, and settled for 9th in the 800 free (7:46.83) and 13th in the 1500 free (14:58.15).
With Short off form and 2023 World Championship silver medalist Ahmed Hafnaoui absent, Germany’s Lukas Märtens won gold in the 400 free at the Olympics in a time of 3:41.78. In the 800 free, Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen won gold in 7:38.19, again a time slower than what Short produced last year.
Someone needs to do an analysis on Aussie athletes’ high elbow technique and internal shoulder rotation. It’s just too much Aussie athletes getting shoulder injury these days…. Male and female…
Is it more than any other country? Percentage wise?
Ruined (for life) shoulders is nothing new in Aussie swimmers – just ask Petria Thomas, a 100 other medalists, and 10s of 1000s of those who swam but got ruined shoulders before they ever got to international level. Some get thru it with frequent (illegal?) cortisone injections. Some, 10 years on, can no longer lift their arms above their heads.
Add to that Stephanie Rice – only had one Olympics in her because of worn out shoulder.
It’s sad how olympics went for him, I really hope he (and Hafnaoui) can get back to their best soon. Fukuoka’s long distance races were amazing, I was really looking forward to those races at the olympics, and along with wiffen getting better and better we could see fantastic 800 and 1500 races next years
Yes, they were wonderful in Fukuoka, Short & Hafnaoui, swapping 400 & 800 gold & silver, it was wonderful racing & you can add the 1500 with the 2 of them & Finke.
Shame for Short, he had a big chance in Paris, in his top form he would’ve won the 400, taken on Wiffen in 800 as well.
I hope he recovers well & gets a shot at redemption.