Aussie athlete hits back after being dumped ahead of Olympics
Two-time Australian Olympian Morgan Mitchell has opened up on being dumped “out of nowhere” ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Australian athlete Morgan Mitchell has hit back after she was dumped out of nowhere ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Mitchell, 29, was aiming to compete at her third Olympic campaign but those dreams were dashed after she said she was dropped by Athletics Australia.
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After lining up in the green and gold at both the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, Mitchell has now turned her focus to the 2028 games in LA under the guidance of a new coach.
As Mitchell puts it, the rug was pulled out from under her feet as Athletics Australia attempted to “pull the age card”.
“When AA drop you out of nowhere and keep others with the same injury (achilles) and try to pull the age card, you think if there’s no belief you’ll just go away but I want to do it on my terms,’’ the 400m sprinter said to the Herald Sun.
“You get dropped and that’s it but it’s not a pity party because I’ve made lots of relationships and I’m not down about putting so much belief in the system.
“Changing coaches halfway through the season didn’t help and I’m turning 30 this year but I don’t feel old. I want to give it one last crack.”
News.com.au has contacted Athletics Australia for comment
Earlier in the year Mitchell opened up on her journey to success, largely crediting her decision to switch to a vegan diet a decade ago.
“When I took on the diet, I thought nothing of it,” the 29-year-old told news.com.au.
“Once I sat down with my sports dietitian, she mapped out what my journey would look like trying to still run my best while being vegan.”
Mitchell, like so many young girls, got into Little Athletics after seeing Cathy Freeman dominate at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Deep down, she knew she would be heading to the Olympics.
She also played netball and basketball and moved away from athletics as a teenager. But she got back into the sport after the Rio Olympics had been announced. She worked hard and made her Olympic debut at the Rio Games at the age of 21 and competed in Tokyo in 2021.
Her training style has changed dramatically for every Olympics she has been part of.
For the Rio Olympics, she said she listened to her coach and did what she was told, but she tore her Achilles tendon ahead of Tokyo. It meant she had to change her entire training regimen.
And now Mitchell has joined forces with Peter Fortune in an attempt to earn her place back in the Australian Olympic team for 2028.
Fortune helped guide Cathy Freeman to her famous gold medal during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
“I will head overseas again but with my new coach I’m adapting to a new style and (Peter) and I have had a good relationship since 2012,’’ she said.
“I wish I’d made the decision earlier but I’m grateful for my life and where we’re at. I’m in shape but as my last coach said, I lost a lot of confidence … I’m excited for the future.”
The Paris Olympics get underway on July 26 and run through until August 11.
Originally published as Aussie athlete hits back after being dumped ahead of Olympics
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