Henry To Miss Beijing Olympics

Henry To Miss Beijing Olympics

ATHENS triple gold medal winner Jodie Henry is expected to announce this morning that she will not defend her Olympic titles in Beijing.

Henry has struggled with motivational and physical problems in recent times, and met national head coach Alan Thompson yesterday to discuss whether she would be ready to compete at next month's Olympic selection trials in Sydney.

While Thompson confirmed that he told Henry to "sleep on" a few questions he posed, he added she had not told him her decision yet, and that she was scheduled to do so today.

But late yesterday Henry's management company issued a statement saying that the 24-year-old would make an announcement in Brisbane this morning regarding her future. It is believed the announcement would not be a retirement one, but instead would say that due to her illness and the resulting impact it has had on limiting her training, she would not be ready to compete at the trials, and as such cannot make the team to Beijing.

Henry, who won gold in the 100 metres freestyle and anchored two relays to gold in Greece in 2004, has been plagued with problems in recent times.

The first were motivational, and saw her move late last year from long-time coach Shannon Rollason in Canberra to her home city of Brisbane. She first joined Simon Cusack at Indooroopilly, only to discover he trained in a 25m pool, which led her to swap coaches again, this time joining Rollason's former assistant Drew McGregor, at her old pool, Chandler.

But following her return north, Henry began suffering from a debilitating "mystery illness" which was only recently diagnosed as an imbalance in the muscle group around her pelvis.

"Let me first say that this is not the end of Jodie Henry," Thompson said. "She is definitely not retiring from swimming."

. She would inform him today whether or not she would compete at the Sydney trials.

"I think the emotions that I see in Jodie are frustration but also relief," he continued. "She's frustrated that this has happened in an Olympic year and so close to the trials. But what is a great relief to her is that they have finally found an answer.

"They went through a raft of doctors and specialists, and underwent so many tests, all trying to find out what the problem exactly was, and to now finally know, and start treating the problem, it is a great relief for her.

"She has still been able to train each day, but with varying degrees of pain, ranging from being an annoyance to unbearable pain. I don't know which way she will go, that is for Jodie to decide."