Lauren Boyle, 2012 World Champion, Withdraws From Short Course World Championships

“The challenges of establishing a personal coach has meant that Lauren feels this has compromised some of her build-up,” said Swimming New Zealand High Performance Director Luis Villanueva in the release.

“As the world champion therefore if she is not in the best shape to win the gold medal again in the 800m freestyle at the upcoming championships in Doha, … she is wiser to focus on next year which is the very important stepping stone to the 2016 Olympics.”

Boyle won three bronze medals at last year’s long course world championships in the distance freestyle events. She was under the pace of the former world record in the 1500 freestyle at that meet. She also won the gold medal in the 400 freestyle at this summer’s Commonwealth Games and finished second in the 800 free. About a month later, she was second behind Ledecky in the 800 and 1500 freestyles at the Pan Pacific championships and third in the 400 free.

Boyle has amassed an impressive medal collection, but has no Olympic hardware. Her highest Olympic finish was fourth in the 800 free at the 2012 Olympics.

Another New Zealander who won hardware at the short course world championships, Matt Stanley, will also bypass this week’s meet. Stanley touched fourth in the 400 freestyle in Istanbul in 2012, but was promoted to bronze after the original third-place finisher, Mads Glaesner, tested positive for a banned substance.

That leaves only two from New Zealand traveling to Doha: breaststroker Glenn Snyders and freestyler Nathan Capp.