{"id":656573,"date":"2026-10-31T19:12:15","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T02:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=656573"},"modified":"2026-10-31T19:12:15","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T02:12:15","slug":"claire-weinstein-wins-800-but-declines-short-course-worlds-spot-for-health-reasons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/claire-weinstein-wins-800-but-declines-short-course-worlds-spot-for-health-reasons\/","title":{"rendered":"Claire Weinstein Wins 800, but Declines Short Course Worlds Spot for Health Reasons"},"content":{"rendered":"

Claire Weinstein Wins 800, but Declines Short Course Worlds Spot for Health Reasons<\/em><\/p>\n

Claire Weinstein<\/strong> claimed two victories and earned a spot to go to the short course world championships, but gave up those spots on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Weinstein made the announcement on her on-deck interview that she will skip the 2026 World Short Course Championships to remain at Cal and continue to get healthy.<\/p>\n

Claire Weinstein missed half of the year with viral meningitis and is still not 100% healthy from that bout. Viral meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges specifically caused by a viral infection. The meninges are the areas surrounding the brain and spinal cord.<\/p>\n

She finished the 2026 USA Swimming Short Course World Championship Trials with a win in the 800 free (8:25.15).<\/p>\n

Weinstein also won the 400 freestyle<\/a> earlier in the meet.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been super rough. Viral meningitis is a really serious illness. I have downplayed it a lot when I explained it to people, but it was super, super rough,\u201d Claire Weinstein said. \u201cHonestly there was a time when didn\u2019t think I would be able to be a high-level athlete or be racing again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am thankful that I could get some race reps in and do it in a healthy way, not a way that would send me backwards in this long journey I\u2019ve been through.\u201d<\/p>\n