Katrina Gorry ready for her return to the Olympic Games after injury scare

A key Matilda is ready to shine at the Olympic Games after recovering from ankle surgery.

Star midfielder Katrina Gorry has declared herself fully fit for the Matildas’ Olympics campaign after overcoming an ankle injury that threatened her availability for the upcoming Paris Games.

Gorry injured her ankle playing for West Ham in the English Women’s Super League in March, and she had surgery the following month.

The former Brisbane Roar star wasn’t selected in Australia’s squad for the friendly matches against China on May 31 and June 3, but was still chosen in the Matildas’ 18-player contingent for Paris.

“I’ve been in full training for the last couple of weeks,” Gorry said ahead of Matildas’ Olympics warm-up clash against Canada on Sunday morning (AEST) in Marbella, Spain.

“West Ham were really supportive of me being in Sweden and doing my rehab there, so I'm really grateful for that.

“I did a lot of running sessions by myself, tried to get myself fit and back in the team, and since I’ve been back. I’ve been doing full sessions.

“I haven’t missed a beat really, so it’s been really nice to be back and obviously under the care of the national team.”

Katrina Gorry is fit for the Matildas’ Olympic Games campaign. Picture: James Worsfold/Getty Images

However, 31-year-old Gorry admitted it had been a “whirlwind couple of months”.

‘I was pretty devastated about my injury but so grateful for all the support, and I knew that I could trust my body to get myself back here and I get to do it with my beautiful family as well so I’m feeling good,” she said.
“The ankle’s doing really well and I’m just so happy to be back in camp.”

Now a mother of two, 2016 Rio Olympian Gorry will make her return the Olympics in Paris after missing the Tokyo Games three years ago due to her pregnancy and subsequent birth of daughter Harper.

“It’s definitely a really special to be here,” she said.

“An Olympic Games is always a special tournament. As a kid you grow up wanting to be an Olympian.

“It was obviously really difficult to miss Tokyo, but to have Harper, it’s all been a pretty incredible journey and to now be here, to get to share it with my family and to know that I got back from the injury is definitely really special to me.”

Gorry’s break from football also seems to have her intent on continuing her international career beyond Paris, with the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup – which will be hosted by Australia – an enticing prospect.
“For me, the main focus was to get myself here, fit and healthy, and we’ll see what happens after that,” she said.

“I want to play for the national team for as long as I can. It’s a special time to be a part of this team, so I’ll be I’ll do whatever I can to keep myself fit and make sure I try to get back in the team whenever I can.”