Australian Swimmer Mollie O'Callaghan Has Spinal Fractures but Will Still Race

Australian swimmer Mollie O'Callaghan shared big news on July 15. The 22-year-old Olympic champion told fans that she had been diagnosed with stress fractures in her spine back in June. Doctors told her to stop swimming right away. But after more tests and advice from a spine specialist, she has been cleared to race at the Commonwealth Games, which start on July 23 in Glasgow, Scotland.

O'Callaghan is the reigning Olympic champion in the 200m freestyle. She posted about her health struggles on Instagram, saying it was one of the hardest moments of her career. At first, doctors told her she would not be able to swim at the national trials, the Commonwealth Games, or the Pan Pacific Championships in California in August. That news was a huge blow for one of Australia's top swimmers.

Scans showed stress fractures and bone swelling in the lower part of her spine. Her team quickly reached out to a spine specialist to get more advice. After more tests following the swimming trials, doctors gave her the green light to compete again. She was relieved but also knew she would have to be careful.

O'Callaghan is signed up for three solo events in Glasgow — the 100m freestyle, the 200m freestyle, and the 50m backstroke. She is also set to swim in several relay races. However, she hinted that her plans might change depending on how she feels. "Things might look a little different for me at the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs but I'll give everything I have and do my absolute best every time I race," she said.

Her announcement came just one day after another Australian swimmer, Shayna Jack, said she would retire after the Commonwealth Games. Jack's story is also emotional. In 2019, she tested positive for a banned substance called ligandrol, which helps muscles grow. She was given a four-year ban even though she said she never took the drug on purpose and believed it got into her body through contamination.

Jack spoke about her retirement in an emotional video. She said her world "blew up" in 2019, just as she was preparing for the 2020 Olympic Games. Despite everything she went through, she said she wants to finish her career with her head held high. "I want to go out there, head held high, proud of who I am, proud of who I am representing and proud of what I am saying goodbye to," she said.

Australian swimming has also lost another big star recently. Backstroke champion Kaylee McKeown pulled out of both the Commonwealth Games and the Pan Pacific Championships last week. The 24-year-old is the reigning Olympic, world, and Commonwealth champion in both the 100m and 200m backstroke. Many people consider her the greatest backstroke swimmer of all time. She said she was heartbroken to withdraw after discovering that what she thought was the flu was actually glandular fever, a serious illness that causes extreme tiredness.