2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
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After winning silver in the women’s 100 backstroke on Wednesday at the Short Course World Championships in Melbourne, Mollie O’Callaghan was in pain.
The 18-year-old Australian superstar began cramping in the abdominal area prior to the final of the women’s 800 freestyle relay, and probably would’ve given her spot to another swimmer in the final had that been an option.
However, since the Australian team had already penciled O’Callaghan in for the relay final, she had to swim the race or the Aussies would be DQed.
Despite being spotted in tears in the warm-up pool, O’Callaghan gutted it out and contributed a 1:52.83 split as the Aussie women won gold and broke the world record in the 800 free relay by two seconds in a time of 7:30.87.
“I get really bad cramps,” O’Callaghan said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “It comes and it goes. It’s something I’ve been working on and don’t know about. There is definitely panic, there always will be panic. That’s something I’ve got to work through.
“I was more concerned about losing count [of my laps] to be honest. I don’t care if I’m absolutely dead, I have to get on that wall.”
Aussie coach Dean Boxall added: “She got this huge cramp around her six-pack. So the physio had to come and try and get her [sorted] – she’d locked out big time. She couldn’t move in the water for the swim down, so she was in tears, we had to try to help get her through.
“She committed to try to get out there for Australia. She was in a lot of strife, so she’s amazing. What an amazing girl.”
O’Callaghan said Boxall and the Aussie support staff pulled out all the stops to ensure she was ready to race in the relay.
“I had an amazing support team getting me all together, I had Dean supporting me, I had them running around, doing everything,” she said.
“I’m just very thankful for them to help me along the way and get me back up to race. At the end of the day, the race is not about me. It is about Australia. And the team. So I had to stand up and do it for the rest of the girls.”
This isn’t the first time O’Callaghan has suffered a cramp prior to winning a world title, as she dealt with leg cramps prior to winning the women’s 100 free gold medal at the Long Course World Championships this past summer.
O’Callaghan also reportedly swore at the media before having to be “ushered away” after Australia won gold and broke the world record in the women’s 400 free relay, though it’s unknown if that was related to any sort of cramping.
O’Callaghan has continued to excel at the championships following her cramping episode on Wednesday, including winning bronze and breaking the Oceanian and Australian Record in the women’s 50 back on Friday.
It’s probably time for someone at WADA-ITA, or ASADA, or Swim AUS, or World Aquatics to have a good look at the “nutritionists” and “rugby trainers” hanging around the SPW program, especially since weight-shaming allegations have been made about the SPW program in the past and these types of issues were cited in the Independent Commission report on Swim AUS (which Swim AUS seemingly continues to ignore). Not saying anything necessarily illegal being used, but “legal” substances if abused (creatine, caffeine, for example) could still cause harm, and caffeine was/is supposedly a WADA-monitored substance.
Be very careful of making allegations that are harmful to young athletes.
Your very words are dangerous. This site is not for shaming or blaming athletes and their coaches or support staff.. I ask administrators to remove this post.
If you have doubts about any of the above speak to swimming Australia.
Her condition is actually none of your business. How about hope your ok mollie and show support.
You mean “allegations” in the sense of the findings and 45 recommendations from an Independent Commission that conducted more than 150 interviews examining Swimming AUS culture and its treatment of female athletes? With virtually none of those recommendations acted upon? Whether it pertains to MOC cramping or not, It is important for young athletes to know that even though substances/supps they are using may not be doping-banned, they can still be harmful when used in excess. And female athletes (and the sport’s governing bodies) need to stand up to the win-at-all-costs warrior attitudes of AUS coaches and administrators.