Olympic swimming trials: Bronte Campbell facing fitness doubts over Rio with sister Cate fit for purpose
BRONTE Campbell’s will to win is undiminished but whether her broken body is up to the task it is the big question as she heads to the Olympic swimming trials.
BRONTE Campbell’s motivation to win is as strong as ever but whether her broken body has the ability is the big question as the dual world champion heads to the Olympic swimming trials in Adelaide starting Thursday.
The 50m and 100m freestyle champion has been besieged by hip and shoulder problems in 2016. She desperately needs a cortisone injection to settle her shoulder but can’t risk the time out of water this close to trials and will instead wait until immediately after racing to seek a full diagnosis that could severely dent her Olympic dreams.
It’s left the 21-year-old vulnerable to defeat at the selection trials and with the depth of sprinting in Australia the reigning world champ is not taking a top two finish for granted in Adelaide.
“I definitely want to know (what’s wrong) as soon as possible,” Bronte said.
“It has definitely not been the best preparation of my life but I will draw on past experience and I think I’ve got enough work done to put together a good race and that is what I need to do.
“Trials are about getting on the wall first or second and making sure you’re on the team. It’s pretty cut-throat and there is no room for error.
“It’s like going into an exam, you’ve got to keep the fear so you end up working hard enough to make sure you’re on the team, you can’t take it for granted as anything can happen.”
Bronte will contest the 50m and 100m freestyle at trials, events that have become so popular in swimming’s return to glory that Uncle Tobys have secured individual naming rights to those races.
But while Bronte struggles, older sister Cate is powering.
The 2013 world champ battled with injury last year, a shoulder surgery in late 2014 left her underdone in 2015 and then she carried a secret neck inflammation into the world titles where she claimed bronze behind Bronte in both the 50m and 100m freestyle events.
Cate has counted at least four cortisone injections in her shoulder and two in her neck over the past 18 months but, finally, she feels free of the body ailments that held her back.
She’s had to adapt her sleeping — no more lying on her right side at night — and her breathing in training to turning her head to both sides just to reduce the strain on her neck.
“It’s a bit scary when sticking a needle into your neck and they say possible paralysis can come from this procedure. But both times it’s worked a treat,” Cate said.
“I’m enjoying not being in daily pain which I had to put up with before.
“It makes your whole outlook on life better.
“I’ve sorted out the issues with my body that has helped and I’m feeling relatively fit and healthy which is a nice change.
“I seem to have given Bronte all my bad vibes, not intentionally. I wasn’t trying to sabotage her but it just seemed to be the way things go just when I start going well her injuries start playing up. We’re a bit of a see saw act at the moment.”
Originally published as Olympic swimming trials: Bronte Campbell facing fitness doubts over Rio with sister Cate fit for purpose