The reigning World Record holder in the men’s long course 50 butterfly, Andrii Govorov, has undergone successful shoulder surgery.
The 2017 World Championships bronze medalist was relatively quiet at the 2019 edition in Gwangju, Korea this summer, finishing 6th in the 50m fly with a time of 22.91. That was well off Govorov’s 22.27 World Record notched at the Sette Colli Trophy in 2018, as well as far away from his 22.48 registered for gold at last year’s European Championships.
The 27-year-old Ukrainian trains under storied Brazilian coach Arilson Silva, who confirmed to SwimSwam that Govorov underwent surgery post-Gwangju for SLAP syndrome.
Per The Mayo Clinic, SLAP stands for superior labrum anterior and posterior lesions, which can be indicated by pain with specific shoulder positions, pain during overhead activities, as well as overall impaired shoulder strength.
SLAP surgery typically consists of a minimally invasive arthroscopic procedure that uses a tiny camera and miniature surgical instruments to repair the damaged area. (ONSMD)
As such, Govorov has already been back in the water post-surgery, having competed at the Gyor Open in Hungary earlier this month. Govorov clocked a 50m free time of 22.66 and a 50m fly time of 23.84 in his recovery racing.
Silva tells SwimSwam that Govorov used the Gyor Open to ‘test his shoulder’, saying that ‘everything was good’.
“[Andrii] is ready to work full gear to Tokyo Olympics. He is back on heavy training now without problems,” said Silva.
Govorov has fared a better outcome than Frenchman Mehdy Metella, as the sprinter announced just yesterday he would be undergoing shoulder surgery and withdrawing from 2020 Olympic Games contention.
That picture is classic “upper-crossed” syndrome. No wonder he has shoulder issues.
Work on your external rotators kids!!
What is “upper-crossed” syndrome?