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Swim champion Kaylee McKeown is “gutted” that unwellness has forced her retired of nan Commonwealth Games successful a awesome rustle to Australia’s team.
McKeown’s Commonwealth Games profession is complete aft battling glandular fever up of nan Glasgow version starting successful 13 days.
“I americium gutted to medically withdraw,” said nan backstroke ace. “What I thought a fewer months agone was flu has turned retired to beryllium my assemblage fighting glandular fever.”
McKeown had declared Glasgow would beryllium her past Commonwealth Games.
The Queenslander had her sights group connected repeating her 4 gold medals from nan Birmingham Games 4 years ago.
McKeown, who turns 25 connected Sunday, was to person been nan star attraction of nan Glasgow pool, pinch Canada’s Summer McIntosh, who holds 4 individual world records, skipping nan Games.
She raced erstwhile sick astatine Australia’s aquatics action tests for nan Games held from 23 July to 2 August, dropping nan 200m individual medley but qualifying successful her pet events, nan 100m and 200m backstroke.
“I was sick going into tests and I person conscionable not sewage better,” she said. “I americium worried astir pushing myself truthful difficult that I extremity up pinch chronic fatigue.
“It was a difficult determination to make but nan correct one.”
McKeown will besides miss this year’s main world meet, nan Pan Pacific Championships that travel Glasgow.
The five-time Olympic golden medallist was associated closing ceremonial flag-bearer successful Paris successful 2024 aft becoming nan first Australian to triumph 4 individual Olympic titles.
Australia’s Commonwealth Games squad cook de ngo Petria Thomas wished McKeown a hasty betterment pinch nan 2028 Olympic Games successful Los Angeles successful mind.
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“Kaylee is an outstanding swimmer and fierce competitor,” Thomas said.
“To spot her forced to retreat for aesculapian reasons is an unfortunate result for some her and nan Australian Commonwealth Games team,” Thomas said.
“We wish her a speedy betterment and cognize that she will bounce backmost to her champion up of nan Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.”
The Australian aquatics team, now 59-strong, are basking favourites to widen their Commonwealth domination – they won 65 medals astatine nan Birmingham excavation 4 years agone including 25 golds, 3 awkward of nan nation’s grounds golden haul astatine nan 2018 Gold Coast Games.
Australia is sending astir 430 athletes and unit to Glasgow pinch an purpose of claiming apical spot connected nan badge array for a 15th clip successful 23 Games.
