“Australian Breaststroker Hodges Retires with ’60-Year-Old Hips'”, Australian swimmer Chelsea Hodges, renowned for her contribution to the women’s 4×100 meters medley relay gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, has announced her retirement from international swimming at the age of 22. Hodges cited ongoing struggles with injuries as the primary reason for her decision.
Hodges played a pivotal role in Australia’s triumph at the Tokyo Olympics, swimming the breaststroke leg of the medley relay final as they edged past the United States to claim the gold medal.
Despite her aspirations to compete in one last Olympic Games with Australia’s “Dolphins” in Paris, Hodges ultimately chose not to pursue this goal. Concerned about the impact on her quality of life and her nursing career, she made the decision after undergoing multiple hip surgeries.
In a statement released by Swimming Australia on Friday, Hodges revealed, “I had my first hip operation at 15 and another one last year. I actually have the hips of a 60-year-old.”
Expressing her desire for one last opportunity at the Games, Hodges explained, “I wanted one last chance at the Games but after six cortisone injections, I had to make a decision on my future.”Acknowledging the implications of her decision, Hodges stated, “I know this decision means I can continue working in my career as a nurse, where I am on my feet all day.”
Acknowledging the implications of her decision, Hodges stated, “I know this decision means I can continue working in my career as a nurse, where I am on my feet all day.”Hodges’s retirement two weeks out from national Olympic trials leaves swimming power Australia without their third-fastest 100m breaststroker of all time (one minute and 5.99 seconds).Only the retired duo of Leisel Jones and Sarah Katsoulis posted quicker times.
