2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Sunday, July 23rd – Sunday, July 30th
- Budapest, Hungary
- LCM (50m)
- Full Competition Schedule
- Meet Info
- Psych Sheets
- Omega Results
- Pick ’em Contest
- Event-by-Event Previews
To say Australian sprinter Bronte Campbell had a successful 2015 World Championships in Kazan is an understatement, as the now-23-year-old scored gold medals in both the 50m and 100m freestyle events. The road to Budapest, however, has been filled with bumps along the way for the Commercial Club swimmer, putting her ability to successfully defend her titles in doubt.
Still struggling with ongoing left shoulder issues that plagued her during the 2016 Olympics in Rio, ‘C2’ as she is nicknamed, is now having difficulties with her right shoulder, so much so that she had a cortisone shot to settle things down. As such, C2 told The Sunshine Coast Daily that the past 2 weeks have been her ‘worst final preparation she’s had for a major championships since making her international debut at the 2012 Olympics.’
Says her longtime coach Simon Cusack, “We have had to throw any plan out the window. I am trying to juggle her into the race tonight (the 4 x 100m freestyle relay) and whatever she swims will be done on sheer guts. Then we have four days to try to get things settled for the 100m.”
This morning’s Australian line-up for the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay included Emily Seebohm, Madi Wilson Brittany Elmslie and Shayna Jack, who collectively earned a 3rd-seeded time of 3:35.18.
The Australian women’s team is already down one Campbell sister, with Cate opting out of Budapest long ago to focus on the 2018 Commonwealth Games instead. With powerhouses USA and the Netherlands packing full rosters for the 4x100m race tonight, we’ll have to see if the Aussies include Bronte, or gamble on the remaining talent to try for a minor medal to keep her fresh for individual events later on.
Bronte swam very very well splitting 52.14, the same time as Manuel and third fastest leg in the race behind Ranomi’s 51.98 and Sjostrom’s leadoff 51.71 WR.
Same as the absence of Cate Campbell won’t make lesser the win of Sarah Sjostrom the problems with Australian relay team won’t make the win of Americans less valuable. They will be awfully close to the world record and are actually ready with some risk to beat it. In Rio American team who set AR was 1.24sec behind world record set by Australians. This year the Manuel-Comerford duet can be 0.8 – 1sec faster then Manuel-Weitzeil one in Rio.
I doubt the US will beat the WR unless someone splits a 51 like Cate and Bronte have some multiple times.
#done
Aw man…even though this is good for the USA, I hope she gets better. Hard to see a talented swimmer, regardless of country, have trouble.
She’s doubtful to defend titles even if she’s not injured…
Agreed, SS is currently at a level beyond that of any other female FS sprinter other than C1. Fully fit, C2 would still contend for medals at 100 (less so at 50) but she realistically hasn’t been fully fit since 2015.
Agree, she wasn’t going to win.
The most sensible option would be pack her straight back on a plane home …. with orders “don’t get back in the water until both those shoulders are “sorted” PROPERLY !! Tell her to forget about CG and if PP aren’t going to be viable either …. so be it.
If she’s going to swim anything in Budapest, then let it be tonight …. then pull her from the rest of the meet then send her home.
It depends on what those “shoulder issues” are. Nowhere in this article does it say what the injury is. Tendonitis, rotator cuff, joint structure issues? There was speculation that Phelps had right shoulder issues because of cupping marks and turned out he was getting cortisone injections. Her people need to evaluate if this problem will shorten her career and then make the appropriate decision
That’s a sad news! Hope Bronte’s doing fine and sits out the 400 free relay tonight…