Mollie O’Callaghan injury rocks Australian swim team ahead of world championships

An injury scare has sent a shock through the Australian swim team, with world champion Mollie O’Callaghan managing a knee issue less than a month before the world titles.

Mollie O'Callaghan has had a setback with her World Championships preparations. Picture: Getty Images

Australian swim sensation Mollie O’Callaghan has suffered an injury scare just weeks out from the world championships in Japan, “tweaking” her knee cap while stretching after training.

The defending champion in the 100m freestyle, O’Callaghan is not understood to be in any doubt for Fukuoka despite being on a slightly modified training program.

Australian Dolphins coach Rohan Taylor said he was aware of the issue and while he could not confirm whether the dual Olympic relay gold medallist had suffered a dislocation or subluxation of the knee cap – understood to have occurred while O’Callaghan was stretching – he said there was no major injury.

“It’s all looking good for being at worlds and there’s nothing saying she’s not going to be there,” said Taylor, who saw O’Callaghan training on Monday during a visit to coach Dean Boxall’s St Peters Western squad.

Mollie O'Callaghan upset Ariarne Titmus in the 200m freestyle at the selection trials earlier this month.

“She was in the water doing her thing and they’re just making sure she doesn’t aggravate it again.

“We’ve got a month till the racing starts, so we’re, we’re pretty hopeful that she’ll be she’ll be up and fine without any issues.

“At this point there’s no need to think of anything but her just getting better and there’s no real issues that I can see or that I’m hearing, I think it’s just a tweak, a bit of a scare and just needs to be managed.

19-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan overhauled Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus to win the 200m freestyle on Thursday, with the fastest time by anyone in the world this year. 🤯

MORE | https://t.co/Nn7G1b1Szcpic.twitter.com/gfn0TPMlZF

— Bryan Kay (@BryanK200) June 21, 2023

“But there’s nothing saying she won’t be at worlds.”

O’Callaghan, who beat training partner and Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus in the 200m at world championship trials earlier this month, is an integral part of the Australian team and could race in as many as seven events in Fukuoka next month.

“She’s a very versatile athlete across the freestyle and backstroke events which is extremely beneficial to us across the relays,” Taylor said.

“We’ve fortunate to have a number of our athletes, female athletes in particular, that are that are like that, so that gives us that strength of relay and depth and Molly’s a key figure there.”

O'Callaghan reacts to her shock 100m freestyle world title win in Budapest last year.

Swimming Australia has finalised its world championship nominations, with Taylor confirming several athletes selected in relays would also gain an individual swim in Japan if they had met the World Aquatics A qualifier – mainly in form stroke 50m events.

But he did confirm Kai Taylor – no relation to the national coach but son of Australian swimming legend Hayley Lewis – would swim the individual 200m in Fukuoka having met the World Aquatics time.

The Australian team will jet out to start their preparations early next month, ahead of the start of the pool program at the World Aquatics championships on July 23.

Originally published as Mollie O’Callaghan injury rocks Australian swim team ahead of world championships