A gun rising Australian swim star has made the shock decision to retire just weeks before the Paris 2024 teams are selected.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports 22-year-old Chelsea Hodges has quit the sport effective immediately.
Hodges was a member of the women's 4x100m medley relay team that won gold at the Tokyo Olympics. She also won a solo bronze in the 100m breaststroke at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
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She is considered Australia's best women's breaststroker.
Hodges told the Herald she's been forced into retirement due to hip and back problems.
She's undergone three operations already in an attempt to remedy the issue.
"Over the last few weeks I've been deliberating what my career and the rest of my life looks like," she said.
"I've made the decision to retire from competitive swimming.
"I've been taking a lot of medical advice. It's hard … I've told my close friends and family."
Hodges was forced to withdraw from last month's Australian Swimming Championships and ultimately felt she could not get her body in shape for the upcoming Olympic trials.
The Australian swim team trials will be held in Brisbane next month.
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