Australia’s Trickett back for shot at London Games

Triple Olympic gold medallist swimmer Libby Trickett has come out of retirement for a crack at the 2012 London Games, but Australia’s head coach questioned whether she could recapture her best form.

Libby Trickett, 25, announced her comeback late on Wednesday and said she wanted to be eligible in time under international drug-testing protocols to represent her country again at next year’s world championships in Shanghai.

The former 50m and 100m freestyle world record holder retired last December, citing a desire to move on to the next stage of her life.

But Trickett said she started to realise in recent months that she still felt the need to compete and she had already resumed light training with her coach Grant Stoelwinder.

“I think it really solidified it at Pan Pacs (Pan Pacific event in California last month) seeing the guys race,” Trickett said on television.

“I guess I was just ready to test myself again and really I just want to see how far I can take my swimming and see how fast I can get.”

Trickett refused to wear high-tech body suits, a stance which is held to have cost her a title at last year’s World Championships in Rome.

The controversial polyurethane suits have now been banned, which Stoelwinder said would benefit her.

But Leigh Nugent, Australia’s head coach, said that while he was delighted that Trickett was back, he was unsure whether she will be able to return to her best.

It could take a year until it was clear whether she could recapture the form that won her three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 100m butterfly and the 100m freestyle and medley relays, he said.

“I wouldn’t be making any predictions about whether I was confident or not, we’ll just watch her progress and maybe in 12 months’ time I could say whether I’m confident or not,” Nugent told reporters.

Meanwhile, Australia’s triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice has undergone successful surgery on her right shoulder to repair a long-term injury that has threatened her build-up to the 2012 London Olympics.