Olympian Lauren Boyle has withdrawn from the New Zealand Swimming Championships due to an ongoing hip injury that's been affecting her since last year's Rio Games.
New Zealand swimmer Lauren Boyle. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Nationals start on Monday and Boyle will not be among the 230 swimmers who will chase places on the team to compete in July's World Championships in Budapest.
However the New Zealand selectors have given a dispensation under their rules with Boyle's times in Rio allowed to be considered for selection to the World Championships.
"I am grateful to the New Zealand selectors for granting me another basis for qualifying," Boyle said.
Recently Boyle relocated back to Auckland from her former base on the Gold Coast with coach Denis Cotterell, returning to train with the Swimming New Zealand high performance squad under head coach Jerry Olszweski.
Her famous Australian coach has moved his sights from the Australian High Performance Programme and is now contracted to be part of China's 2020 Olympic plans.
Boyle has been back training in Auckland since February but a hip injury that first came to public attention at the Rio Olympics has troubled her since returning to the pool last October.
"A labrum tear in my hip joint has impacted my training intensity and volume but I thought I would get to Nationals despite that," said Boyle.
"I haven't missed a national championship since 2009 so it's a big deal to me not to compete. The fact is, at Rio I got away with the once in one lifetime cortisone shot to the hip that I could have, and it's proven harder to deal with now.
"Coming to terms with pain, injury, and uncertainty I guess, happens but it's not just a 'bounce back'. The injury has to be managed and the help I'm getting now is good."
She earned two silver medals in the 800m and 1500m freestyle at the last FINA World Championships in 2015, but failed to reach any of her event finals in Rio.
-RNZ
