Rio 2016: veteran Aussie swimmer Grant Hackett nearly abandoned bid for fourth Olympics

GRANT Hackett says illness almost made him abandon his campaign to become the oldest swimmer to make the Australian Olympic team.

SWIMMING - Grant Hackett at the Aquatic Centre ahead of the 2016 Australian Championships. Photo Sarah Reed.

GRANT Hackett says illness almost made him abandon his campaign to become the oldest swimmer to make the Australian Olympic team.

But the triple Olympic gold medallist - 36 in May - said the setback earlier this year proved a blessing.

“I got bronchitis. It really set me back, it took two or three months to get back to the times I was doing,” Hackett said ahead of the Rio trials in Adelaide, starting on Thursday.

“I asked ‘why am I doing this for’?

“I realised it was about having fun.

“The good thing about getting sick was it brought me back to that.”

Hackett said he was “99 per cent sure” that he would retire if he missed out on making his fourth Olympic team.

“I still don’t like calling this a comeback, it’s not about that,” he said.

Grant Hackett says getting to Rio is a personal challenge.

“I don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on myself.

“At my age and so long out of the sport I needed everything to go right in my preparation so that (illness) was frustrating.

“But I have achieved everything in the sport.

“For me it is a personal challenge to see how much more I can get out of myself and hopefully create some competition for these young guys.”

He has entered the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle at the trials but admits his best chance to qualify for Rio is making the 4x200m freestyle relay team.

The former two-time 1500m Olympic champion made a remarkable comeback last year, making the 2015 world titles team as a 4x200m relay swimmer after six years out of the pool.

“I made my first team at 15. I still can’t believe I am still having a go at this,” Hackett laughed.

Originally published as Rio 2016: veteran Aussie swimmer Grant Hackett nearly abandoned bid for fourth Olympics