Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers Undergoes Surprise Shoulder Surgery In Sydney
Australia’s Rio Olympic gold medallist Kyle Chalmers has had arthroscopic shoulder surgery in a Sydney Hospital where doctors removed a troublesome bursa and revealing the 100m freestyle champion would be “good to go” for his preparations to defend his crown in Tokyo 202One.
The news broke over night just days before he was scheduled to race at the 2020 Hancock Prospecting Australian Virtual Short Course meet at the Sydney Olympic pool.
Chalmers coach Peter Bishop spoke exclusively to Swimming World revealing that the Olympic champion had been bothered with shoulder soreness in the middle of the year and they scheduled a visit to Sydney last week to visit a shoulder specialist.
“The shoulder had been a bit sore when he was training through and once we got shut down with Covid and then Kyle came back he was still sore and we decided we had time on our side so let’s get it looked at,” said Bishop.
“He had already had some cortisone injections and then the * PRP (Platelet-rich plasma) therapy which was a slow progression.
“But then when the borders opened between South Australia and NSW and so we could actually fly to Sydney to get the opinion of a specialist recommended by Swimming Australia and actually Ian Thorpe was very supportive as well…he was also seeing the same surgeon.
“So we flew over to Sydney last Monday week for an appointment and the specialist suggested some exploratory arthroscopic surgery which was scheduled for Tuesday where he looked inside and they removed a bursa and carried out a general clean up around the capsule.
“From initial reports the doctor is very happy with the rest of the structures in the shoulder so there are good signs and my understanding is that rehab will take weeks and not months…. and we should be good to go.”
LAID UP: Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers in a Sydney Hospital today. Photo Courtesy: Kyle Chalmers Instagram
A smiling 22-year-old Chalmers, with his left shoulder in a sling and a pad on the top of his shoulder posted a photo on his Instagram account, saying: “Rehab starts now, bring on Tokyo 202One.”
The day before Chalmers had posted a photo with fellow Rio Olympians Jarrod Poort, Matt Abood and David McKeon after swimming at Sydney’s Bondi Icebergs Pool saying: “Rolling the shoulders over in one of the most iconic pools in Australia.”
Chalmers had swum a kilometre with fins in the 50m Icebergs pool which is run by dual 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Olympian Neil Rogers.
The Adelaide-based Chalmers was back at Bondi Beach on Sunday as a spectator to watch Poort contest the annual Stan “Mac” McDonald 20-man surf race relay for North Bondi against eventual winners Bondi.
FROM RIO TO BONDI: 2016 Rio Olympians Jarrod Poort, Matt Abood, David McKeon and Kyle Chalmers pictured at the Bondi Icebergs on Saturday. Photo Courtesy: Kyle Chalmers Instagram.
Rogers interviewed Chalmers and Abood as some of the best surf, open water, pool and water polo players contested the famous relay which has been swum for over 85 years and was as surprised as anyone to see the photo of the Olympic champion in hospital.
“He looked great when I saw him on Saturday and I actually filmed a video of him swimming up and down to show my squad – not every day Kyle Chalmers dives into your pool,” said Rogers.
“And I had a chat to him on the microphone at the beach on Sunday – and what an impressive young guy – he was enthralled by the surf club relay…loved it..thought it was a great idea.”
Bishop had been forced to alter his race plans for his squad following the shock Adelaide COVID-19 lock down last week.
Bishop’s squad, which also includes Chalmers Rio team mates Madi Wilson and Travis Mahoney, had originally been scheduled to travel from Adelaide to Brisbane to contest the Queensland meet. Chalmers is scheduled to join his team mates in the coming days at their Sydney base.
*PRP uses injections of a concentration of a patient’s own platelets to accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. In this way, PRP injections use each individual patient’s own healing system to improve musculoskeletal problems.)
Kyle Chalmers at the Bondi Icebergs pool…video courtesy Neil Rogers.
Katrina Schlicht