Chelsea Hodges, a successful Australian Olympic swimmer known for her breaststroke, has decided to retire from competitive swimming at just 22 years old due to persistent hip and back injuries. Despite facing various physical challenges throughout her career, Hodges remains determined to prioritise her long-term health and future family plans over sports participation.
Australian Olympic gold medallist Chelsea Hodges has announced her retirement from competitive swimming at the age of 22 due to ongoing hip and back injuries. Hodges, a breaststroker, was part of Australia’s gold-medal-winning 4x100m medley relay team at the Tokyo Olympics.
Despite her success, Hodges has faced significant physical challenges. She has been battling hip issues, which have now forced her to make the difficult decision to retire on medical advice. She described the pain as feeling like “someone is grinding my bones any time I move and drilling a hole into my leg.”
The decision comes just months before the Paris Olympic Games and follows a series of injuries, including a stress fracture in her back and complications from a knee injury. Hodges was also sidelined last year after surgery on torn cartilage in her right hip.
Hodges set the Australian record for the 50m breaststroke at the Australian selection trials for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and secured a bronze medal at the Birmingham Games. Currently studying to be a nurse, she expressed confidence in her decision to prioritize long-term health and future family plans.
Hodges will attend the upcoming Olympic trials in Brisbane to support her former teammates, though she may find it emotionally challenging to watch the 100m breaststroke final.