Liz Cambage on Olympic departure: ‘I’d been at breaking point’
In a bombshell video, Liz Cambage took aim at ‘lies’ around her departure from the Australian Olympic team and denied alleged incidents.
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Australian basketball star Liz Cambage has opened up about why she pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics, saying she was at “breaking point” during one of the “hardest decisions of my life”.
In an explosive video posted on Instagram, Cambage said: “This decision had been a few days in the making but I’d been at breaking point for a month or so now”.
It came after she announced on Friday that she had withdrawn from the Games due to mental health concerns, revealing she had panic attacks and couldn’t sleep.
There had been speculation that the Opals were considering kicking her off the team after an alleged incident.
“As soon as I put out that little statement yesterday and made the final decision I felt the world of anxiety and pressure, heaviness I’ve been carrying lift straight off me,” Cambage said in the explosive address, published on her Instagram story.
She denied reports which alleged she was partying in Las Vegas, saying she had only left her “bubble” for the All Star game.
Speaking what appeared to be a hotel room, Cambage, 29, said she had made the decision to pull out of Tokyo and “finally made it on my own terms”.
She addressed misconceptions around her dramatic departure: “It’s sad that news got leaked yesterday that I didn’t even know about”.
“I just want to say this decision was coming and I’m happy I finally made it on my own terms.
“I’m pretty annoyed at all the fake news and the lies I’m seeing floating around in news articles and being shown and being asked about.
“Yeah, things got heated in the Nigeria game,” Cambage said, addressing reports over the heated clash during the Opals’ warm-up clash against Nigeria.
“There was a particular altercation and there were words exchanged but I’m hearing things that aren’t true at all, flying around from people in Australia and America, which is crazy.
“I know what happened. I don’t appreciate the lies and the people constantly trying to tear me down.
Cambage also opened up about the difficulties she faced in the team’s pre-Olympics “bubble”, saying she felt “trapped”.
“I’ve been trapped in this room with no view, with nothing for a week,” she said.
“Of course I’m going to lose my mind in here, are you serious? I’m seeing reports that I went out partying. S***, I wish I did.
“I’ve been in here, bro, I’ve been in here,” Cambage said.
“And the only time I left this damn ‘bubble’ was for the All Star game. Don’t you have anything else to talk about?
“Yesterday was one of the hardest decisions of my life but it had been coming.”
Cambage addressed the impact the situation had on her mental health.
“I’ve been having breakdowns in the carpark at Wholefoods, non-stop panic attacks hyperventilating at the thought of going into one of the most precious situations, which is already in a bubble, with no fans, no friends,” she said, in the revealing to-camera address.
“I’ve never played without fans,” she said. “The main reason I sat out of the WNBA last season was my mental health.
“Like, I’m not OK in a bubble. I’m not OK playing in front of no fans.
“Mentally, I’m an escapist. If I have no escape from a situation, it gives me anxiety and I panic. And there’s definitely no escape, except for leaving, once you get into Tokyo. And I would not want to do that,” she added, as the video cut off.
She ended the video: “I just want to set a few things straight. Peace and love, always and forever. I’m going on vacation for two weeks,” Cambage said, forming the peace sign with her hand.
Originally published as Liz Cambage on Olympic departure: ‘I’d been at breaking point’
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