Illness forces ‘gutted’ McKeown to withdraw from Comm Games
Superstar Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships.
Swimming Australia confirmed in a statement on Friday that the five-time Olympic gold medallist would not be competing in Glasgow or California because of glandular fever.
Kaylee McKeown. Getty
The Commonwealth Games run from July 23 to August 2 and the Pan Pacific Championships – featuring Australia, the USA, Japan and Canada – from August 12-15.
“I am gutted to medically withdraw. What I thought a few months ago was the flu has turned out to be my body fighting glandular fever,” McKeown said.
“I was sick going into trials and I just have not got better and I am worried about pushing myself so hard that I end up with chronic fatigue.
“It was a hard decision to make but it was the right one.”
McKeown has been battling fatigue, a loss of breath and a loss of appetite for several months.
At the Australian trials in Sydney in June, the Queenslander went tantalisingly close to breaking her 200m backstroke world record despite being ill.
“At this point in time, Kaylee’s health is the most important thing,” said Rohan Taylor, the Dolphins head coach.
“... We are going to miss her on [the] team not just in the pool but out of the pool with her experience and leadership but I personally feel, respect and support her decision to prioritise health.
“I know after trials she significantly modified her training program to the point of no high-intensity work and she just didn’t improve.”
McKeown’s Pan Pacific Championships withdrawal means she will not be in America for an exercise Swimming Australia has dubbed an “LA immersion”.
Kaylee McKeown after winning gold in the 200m backstroke at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Getty
Revealed exclusively by nine.com.au in April, the project will see Australian swimmers head to Los Angeles for two days after the Pan Pacific Championships in preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, McKeown won gold in the 100m and 200m backstroke and the 4x100m medley relay.