Ladies and gentlemen, here’s a story about the highs and lows of sportsmanship, rivalry, and the bittersweet end of an illustrious career. Cate Campbell, the decorated Australian swimmer, will not be making the trip to Paris next month for the Summer Olympics.
Campbell, who finished seventh in the 50m freestyle at Australia’s Olympic swimming trials, missed out on qualifying for her home country’s Olympic team. Notably, she didn’t compete in the 100m event.
Campbell’s failure to qualify is particularly striking given her recent controversial comments. A video surfaced showing Campbell boasting about defeating Team USA at last year’s World Championships, which did not sit well with American fans or swimmers.
In an interview after the 2023 World Championships, Campbell remarked, “Australia coming out on top is one thing, but it is just so much sweeter beating America. There were a couple of nights, particularly the first night of competition, where we did not have to hear the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ ring out through the stadium, and I cannot tell you how happy that made me. If I never hear that song again, it will be too soon. Bring on Paris, that’s all I have to say. U.S., stop being sore losers.”
These comments drew significant ire, including a heated reaction from 23-time gold medalist Michael Phelps, who stated, “If somebody said that to me, I would lose it. I would make them eat every word they just said about me.” Phelps also noted, “Well, the good news is the Olympics will be here shortly, and we’ll be able to see what the results are.”
Despite her bravado, Campbell expressed her disappointment with her performance at the Australian trials. “It’s bitter-sweet,” she told Australia’s Channel 9. “I had hoped for the fairytale ending, and it’s what I had worked for and what I felt I was capable of, and unfortunately my body just said, ‘No.’”
Campbell had a chance to make history as the first Aussie swimmer to compete in five straight Olympics. However, with this setback, she has decided to step away from competitive swimming.
Reflecting on her career, she said, “Swimming is one of the most grueling sports out there, and I have been at it a very, very long time. This is the end, and it’s a perfect way to exit the pool. I can leave the sport with my head held really high.”
Addressing her viral comments, Campbell suggested that rivalries are what make sports exciting. “Who knew a couple of comments said in jest [could] have stirred up all this trouble.
But ultimately, that’s kind of what we love about sport,” she said. “It’s the rivalries that get everyone going, that gets the fire in the belly… Australia has had such a long rivalry with the U.S. and a little bit of trash talk never hurt anyone.”
