Comm Games 'might look a little different' for swim star after broken back

Australian swimming sensation Mollie O'Callaghan has disclosed that she battled significant injuries, including stress fractures in her lumbar spine and a shoulder issue, leading up to and during the Australian Swimming Trials in June. The 22-year-old revealed the extent of her physical challenges on social media, stating she was initially advised to cease swimming immediately and would be unable to compete at the upcoming Commonwealth Games or Pan Pacific Championships.

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Last month I was told I wouldn't be able to compete at Trials, the Commonwealth Games or Pan Pacs. I was also told to stop swimming immediately.

"Last month I was told I wouldn't be able to compete at Trials, the Commonwealth Games or Pan Pacs. I was also told to stop swimming immediately," O'Callaghan shared. "It was a moment that reinforced just how much representing Australia means to me and how badly I want to be part of this team."

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It was a moment that reinforced just how much representing Australia means to me and how badly I want to be part of this team.

Following the diagnosis of stress fractures and bone edema in her spine, O'Callaghan's team sought urgent advice from a spinal specialist. Fortunately, further assessments indicated a positive trajectory for her recovery, allowing her to compete. "Thankfully, after further assessment everything has continued to move in a positive direction, and after Trials I was given the green light to compete at the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs," she explained.

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Thankfully, after further assessment everything has continued to move in a positive direction, and after Trials I was given the green light to compete at the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs.

O'Callaghan is slated to compete in the 100m and 200m freestyle, and the 50m backstroke, alongside various relay events at the Commonwealth Games, which commence on July 23 in Glasgow. The Pan Pacific Swimming Championships are scheduled to follow in California approximately two weeks later. "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," O'Callaghan stated, expressing immense gratitude to her team and medical specialists for enabling her to continue competing while prioritizing her recovery.

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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.