By Phillip Whitten
November 13. SwimmingWorldMagazine.com has learned that Australian superstar Grant Hackett will almost certainly announce tomorrow that he is withdrawing from next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Swimming Australia, however, has not yet acknowledged that Hackett will announce his withdrawal tomorrow. Ian Hanson, chief spokesman for Swimming Australia, said only that he has been told to prepare for a news conference on Monday in Melbourne after the Australia team captain had medical tests earlier today (it is Monday, Nov. 14 in Australia now, but still Sunday, Nov. 13 in the USA).
"Grant is supposed to see a doctor this morning and we are getting a medical report after that," Hanson said in an official statement from Durban, South Africa, where he is attending the World Cup meet.
"We will have to contact Grant's management to find out what the problem is, but obviously [losing him] would be a major blow. I know he has had some problems with his shoulder. He swam in pain at the World Championships in Montreal last July.
Nonetheless, our sources report that the decision has, in fact, been made and that Hackett will pull out. This was confirmed in a news story just minutes ago on Sky News, in which Brian Taylor, a spokesman for Hackett's management company, reportedly said that Hackett will withdraw formally at the press conference.
Taylor said that Hackett, the greatest distance swimmer in the history of competitive swimming, does, indeed, have a serious shoulder injury but that wasn't the only reason for his decision.
"Grant is withdrawing from the Commonwealth Games," he told Sky News. "It was a very tough decision for him, but this is only a minor hiccup. His ultimate aim remains Beijing."
Taylor said that the mysterious "other reasons" would be revealed at the press conference.