Bronte Campbell to take a break from swimming to ensure she returns refreshed for Tokyo 2020

BRONTE Campbell was only partly joking when she said after her 100m freestyle gold medal swim that her body was “held together by sticky tape and physios”. But now she has stepped from the shadow of big sister Cate, it’s time to step back.

Bronte Campbell and the Australian Dolphins swim team gather for the media after their most successful Commonwealth Games. Pics Adam Head

BRONTE Campbell has finally stepped from the shadow of big sister Cate, but her time in the sun will be so brief she won’t need to apply sunscreen.

Bronte arguably surpassed her sister as the female swimmer of the meet by beating the former world record-holder in the 100m freestyle. But if she hopes to repeat the dose in Tokyo 2020, she needs to give her battered body the rest it requires for a high-octane Olympic campaign.

Campbell was only partly joking when she said after her gold medal swim that her body was “held together by sticky tape and physios”.

Chronic shoulder, hip and back injuries need rest and the 23-year-old will have no hesitation in treading the path that helped her older sister return to the sport refreshed and close to career-best form.

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The difference for the younger Campbell is that she leaves on top.

Where Cate’s mettle in the pressure cooker of international competition has been questioned, Bronte is a ferocious racer, as she showed when she won the 100m on Monday night in the fourth-fastest time in history.

Bronte Campbell with her medals. Pics Adam Head

“It was pretty incredible (to beat Cate),” she said.

“But I don’t know how to explain this — it’s not that important to me.

“If I’d gone 52.2sec and Cate had gone 52.0 and won that race it wouldn’t have mattered less to me because I just wanted to swim quickly.

“It’s fantastic to enjoy my moment … it’s incredible to have your little moment but swimming’s not really about that for me.

“It’s more just seeing what I can do and when I do my absolute best, then I’m really proud of that and that’s why I swim.”

While the sisters are competitive in the water, they have an uncanny ability to leave their rivalry in the pool and not allow it to interfere with their sibling relationship.

It’s a trait that amazes other athletes, including the swim team’s McKeown sisters, who are glad they compete in different events, while former Australian greats Susie O’Neill and Stephanie Rice have also marvelled at the Campbells ability to support each other knowing their own competitive natures would tear down, rather than build up their bond.

Bronte Campbell and the Australian Dolphins swim team gather for the media after their most successful Commonwealth Games. Pics Adam Head

But Campbell said her swimming dreams had always been shared.

“With Cate, it’s been many, many years like this, we’ve been doing it forever and since we were little kids, it’s something we’ve always wanted to do together,” she said.

“We’re just pleased every time we get to step up on the podium together.

“It’s pretty incredible and we don’t take it for granted. It’s one in a million that this would ever happen and we’ve done it more than once now.

“So it’s exciting every single time and we’ve learnt more as the year go on to try and savour it because it could be taken away any moment.”

The pair’s swimming bond will soon be broken though, with Bronte to spend time on the sidelines to mend her broken body, as well as travel extensively through Bali, Borneo, India and Sri Lanka.

“For me it’s been pretty rough going trying to get through all the injuries and mentally dealing with that,” Campbell said.

“Knowing I had that break coming, (going into Monday’s final I thought) that was going to be my last 100m freestyle for the next six months.

“That was enormously encouraging and really exciting and then I got another swim which was even better.”

While some in the public arena played a furious guessing game over which sister would anchor the medley relay, Campbell was informed after her gold-medal win she had gained the honour.

“It’s not very often I get to be in the medley relay, so it was pretty great to be a part of it,” she said of an effort in which she mowed down rising Canadian star Taylor Ruck to propel Australia to gold.

“To be honest, the call could have gone either way, if they’d put Cate in the relay she would have done an amazing job.”

Originally published as Bronte Campbell to take a break from swimming to ensure she returns refreshed for Tokyo 2020