Hackett admits to Athens injury

[Bazza]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/3974355.stm

Is this why he didn't go as fast as many predicted and indeed barely beat Larsen Jensen and our own David Davies? Pretty impressive if it's as bad as it's made out to be!

[Top10ranking]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/3974355.stm

Is this why he didn't go as fast as many predicted and indeed barely beat Larsen Jensen and our own David Davies? Pretty impressive if it's as bad as it's made out to be!

sounds bad

[KJ89]

He must be a phenomenal swimmer to still win an olympic gold

[Natasha]

He must be a phenomenal swimmer to still win an olympic gold

I've always thought that Hackett had been an incredible athlete, although he doesn't win so many medals, that always doesn't define the best. He is so amazing at that one event it can just blow people away.

[lozswimmer]

sounds really bad!?!?! how did he manage to swim like that! imagine how well he would have done without the injury!!!

[matt]

Yeah doesn't sound too great spots on the lungs and all...............It says that he has a lot of bronchial problems, does he train around them/through it or does he stop and wait for physical recovery?

[rubber ducky]

when I was watching the olympics the commentators said that one of the young American girls in one of the finals (50m free i think) has a serious heart condition and carries round a portable defribrilator and that she had major heart surgery 2 weeks before the American Nationals.

It brings it home how much dedication and hard work some people put in and actually determines the exceptional athletes from the good ones.

[Breezer]

What a legend

[KJ89]

when I was watching the olympics the commentators said that one of the young American girls in one of the finals (50m free i think) has a serious heart condition and carries round a portable defribrilator and that she had major heart surgery 2 weeks before the American Nationals.

It brings it home how much dedication and hard work some people put in and actually determines the exceptional athletes from the good ones.
Yeh she has to carry around a defibulator (or however you spell it) so they can shock her her if he heart stops scary!

[No Fear!!]

I wonder if her swimming actually makes her heart that little bit stronger so less likely to stop.

[glen_75]

I hope these problems don't persist and shorten his career. It would be nice to see him swimming at the Beijing games.

[selkie]

The American girl is Dana Vollmer. She was 6th in the open 200 free and on the US world record 4x200 FR in Athens. Article about her heart condition here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1915711

Something of a prodigy. She made her first Olympic Trials cuts at age 12, and her first US National Team (Goodwill Games) at age 13. Tore her ACL in her knee playing basketball not long after that, and just when she was regaining form after the knee surgery, they found the heart problem.

She's also a talented butterflyer.

[Katie]

I'm a bit confused Selkie, when I follow the link I get an article about a hockey player?

[chlorine_babe]

I got the hockey player too I think this (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=1838187) is it

[selkie]

Sorry about that. ESPN must have been moving things around a bit or something.

[lozswimmer]

and only 16 too!!!