Latest news with #CateCampbell
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lani Pallister swims into Australian history as rivals caught in 'never seen' drama
Aussie swimmer Lani Pallister has broken a 10-year-old Commonwealth record to cap off an incredible meet at the world championship selection trials in Adelaide. On a dramatic final night in Adelaide, Pallister's historic swim in the women's 1500m freestyle grabbed the headlines after Australian Olympic great Cate Campbell was left stunned by 'never before seen' drama in the women's 50m freestyle. Pallister won the women's 1500m free in 15 minutes 39.14 seconds, one second inside the previous Commonwealth benchmark set by New Zealander Lauren Boyle in 2015. Her extraordinary swim was also the third fastest time in the event's history and brought an end to the selection trials in style, as Australia's 40-strong team for the upcoming Singapore World Championships was finalised. The 23-year-old Pallister was the standout swimmer of the meet after also breaking Ariarne Titmus' Australian record in the 800m freestyle. She also clocked a personal best in the 400m free after swimming under the four-minute mark for the first time on her way to victory. "It has been a good week ... it has shown what I can do," Pallister said. "Every time I finished a race, 200 to the 1500, there's always something that I looked to be like that can be so much better... I'm just so excited to build on it, I don't think that's my limit by any means." Pallister will compete in four freestyle events at next month's worlds, ranging from 200m to 1500m. During the final day of the 2025 Australian Swimming Trials, Lani Pallister won the women's 1500 freestyle in 15:39.14. This is a new Australian and Commonwealth record, and now she is the 3th fastest performer of all time in the event. — Swimming Stats (@SwimmingStats) June 14, 2025 10 year record BROKEN ⛓️💥Lani Pallister has set a new Commonwealth Record in the women's 1500m freestyle, breaking New Zealand's Lauren Boyle's old mark of 15:40.14 set in 2015 😳🔥This girl is an IRONWOMAN 👏👏 — Australian Dolphins Swim Team (@DolphinsAUS) June 14, 2025 Pallister's incredible feat came after Paris Olympic silver medallist Meg Harris booked her ticket to Singapore by taking out the women's 50m freestyle. Harris touched ahead of Olivia Wunsch and Alexandria Perkins, who both finished second after a dead-heat that threw up a massive dilemma for national selectors and left Olympic great Campbell stunned. Wunsch and Perkins both touched in 24.70, which was two hundredths of a second inside Swimming Australia's qualification standard for the worlds. But confusion reigned about which swimmer would claim the second spot in the event behind Harris, with Australia's coaching staff to make a call depending on their schedules and event lineups in Singapore. Fortunately, both women already qualified for Singapore in other events, with Wunsch in the 100m free and Perkins in the 50m and 100m butterfly races. Wunsch has swum faster in the event previously, while Perkins' swim represented a new personal best as she is more of a butterfly specialist. But a gobsmacked Campbell said during commentary for Nine that it was a situation she had never seen before. "This will be very interesting to see what happens and who gets that spot," the Olympic great said. "It's not something that I have encountered before. It's not something that I am aware what the protocols are." Australia's 40-strong team is book-ended in age by 16-year-old Sienna Toohey and 31-year-old Cam McEvoy, who will race at a staggering seventh world championships. Kyle Chalmers also finished the meet in style after equalling his personal best in the 50m butterfly, winning in 22.89. Chalmers is unlikely to swim the event at the worlds though, given it's scheduled on the same day as the 4x100m freestyle relay. with AAP
ABC News
12-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Cate Campbell says lack of pay contributes to swimmers' mental health struggles after Mollie O'Callaghan's teary admission
Australian swimming legend Cate Campbell says a lack of funding is partly to blame for many of the sport's stars struggling with mental health issues. Campbell's comments come after five-time Olympic gold medallist Mollie O'Callaghan broke down at the Australian swimming trials when discussing the weight of expectation she faces coming into meets. O'Callaghan is one of several swimmers who have found it tough to back up after starring at the Paris Olympics last year. Unlike athletes in most sports, swimmers make almost all their income from sponsorships. While the sport's top stars can make significant amounts through endorsements, others struggle to make ends meet and therefore are required to compete more often, leading to burnout. "We do not pay these athletes enough," Campbell told ABC Sport Daily. "We do not pay them enough for them to be able to sit back and relax in between their training sessions. "We have athletes who are working and studying, trying to make ends meet. That grind is relentless, so, when you come to the end of a four-year cycle and you're facing the prospect of another one, it's no wonder you're exhausted, it's no wonder you're burnt out. "Then you know you have to go and compete and be the best in the world if you want to be able to afford your mortgage, if you want to be able to afford your rent. "These athletes are being paid tens of thousands of dollars, not hundreds of thousands, not millions, to be the best in the world. It is exhausting and what you are seeing is the toll that it's taking on them." Campbell, who notched eight medals across four separate Olympic campaigns, said the sport had always been rife with athletes who struggled mentally. "It's always been this bad. I think people are just feeling safe and empowered enough to talk about it," she said. "It has always been a challenge. It has always been exhausting, but it was something that wasn't spoken about and wasn't acknowledged, and that is why we saw people retire (prematurely)." Campbell used the retirement of legendary swimmer Ian Thorpe at just 24 as a prime example of a swimmer retiring early due to the stresses surrounding the sport. Campbell suggested she would like to see backing of swimmers come from "corporate Australia". "Once every four years these athletes make everyone proud to be Australian, and yet in the years in between, the years where we're competing at a World Championships or a Commonwealth Games, that support and that focus drops off," she said. "I would love to see corporate Australia step up and be able to pay these athletes what they're worth through personal sponsorships, but even that goes to your top two per cent of your athletes. "I would love to see some more support for the sport more broadly so we can have grassroots programs coming through. "It is difficult. It is challenging. We're not on TV every week like the NRL or AFL. We're on TV once every four years where everyone is switched on, but we do have competitions in between now and then. "We want to bring swimming back to being one of the premier sports. "When I was a little kid, I can remember watching the World Championships every year because it was on a free-to-air broadcast, so we need that to continue." The Australian swimming trials will conclude in Adelaide on Saturday.
Sky News AU
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Four-time Australian Olympian Cate Campbell slams social media trolls who claimed she looks 'too old for 32' in candid video
Four-time Olympian Cate Campbell has issued a no-nonsense response to trolls who criticised her appearance, saying she looks "too old for 32". The Malawian-born Australian swimmer sparked the cruel commentary after sharing a bare-faced, makeup-free video on Instagram last Friday. "I am 32 years old, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to look like," Campbell said in the clip, filmed after a light jog. Unfortunately, the post received numerous negative comments, many of which included unsolicited advice. "Girl, I'm sorry but you do look at least 10 years older- start using SPF," one commenter said, racking up more than 500 likes (at time of writing). Another added: "In the nicest way possible, I'd say you look around 40." On Wednesday, the eight-time Olympic medallist-turned-media-presenter returned to Instagram to address the backlash in a second video, skewering both the overtly cruel trolls and the so-called "concerned" commenters. "There was your run-of-the-mill basic b**** trolls, which I kind of expected," she said. "You look terrible … you look more like 60, 50, 40. "Then came the 'concerned trolls'," she explained- the ones who tried to justify their disapproval with health advice. "They couched their horror in concern," Campbell said. "I got told that I had too much sun exposure, that I should wear SPF, not drink alcohol, avoid sugar, stay in the shade, take antioxidants, live an active lifestyle." She was even asked whether she smoked, to which she replied: "Um, no." The swimmer pointed out how this kind of commentary reflects what she believes is a deeper societal problem: the belief that ageing is avoidable if one just tries hard enough. "And let me tell you, going to four Olympic Games is very stressful- so maybe that has something to do with the wrinkles on my face," she added. The Brisbane-based swimmer said she refuses to "subscribe" to rigid beauty standards, and thanked her trolls for motivating her to "keep doing all the things that I love". "This is just my take," she concluded, "and it's that we somehow now view ageing as a choice. And it's just another thing that women have to work very, very hard to avoid." Her message was met with a flood of praise, with media personality Gus Worland commenting: "You're awesome." Another supporter added: "I would like to request a new segment – Cate tells it how it is, unfiltered, sweary, and gives a 'middle finger' to those that deserve it!" Campbell has previously spoken openly about her body image struggles and experience with disordered eating. In April, she told The Courier-Mail that during her early career, "it was skinniest is best". "I would see other coaches discussing other athletes, saying 'so-and-so's come back from a break- geez, she's looking heavy'," she said. "I can remember girls getting told to eat off smaller plates and open discussion around what skinfolds were, and girls having to weigh themselves on pool deck in front of other people." Campbell, who once kept a calorie-counting diary, said she's worked hard to shift her mindset and focus on healthy living. "If I am struggling with other things in life, my instinct and desire to control what I eat comes back. "But I recognise it and I'm like, 'you need more than a carrot for dinner'," she said. has contacted Campbell for further comment.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Swimming great Cate Campbell blames CAPITALISM for making women feel bad about their looks as she hit back at trolls who slammed her over her appearance
Australian swimming legend Cate Campbell has taken aim at capitalism for driving unrealistic beauty standards for women while hitting back at trolls who have targeted her over her appearance. The four-time Olympian, 32, has been spending a lot of time in front of the camera doing media appearances since she retired from competitive swimming last year. Cate explained that she loves the work, but seeing herself on screen so much has made her more aware of how she looks. 'Suddenly I've felt all my insecurities creeping back,' she said in an Instagram post. 'So much of society is about what we look like and the people who are on camera look a very certain way... 'I am 32 years old and I don't know what I'm supposed to look like and when I'm on camera and watching myself back all I can see are these wrinkles around my eyes or the puffiness or my eyelids or these lines on my forehead.' Campbell's candid post was met with a wave of positivity from her followers, but it also attracted some attention from online trolls. The swimming great fired back at them with a second video, noting that her post was 'not a critique on anyone's personal choices, rather an interrogation of the beauty standards our capitalist society has created for us.' 'There was your run-of-the-mill basic bitch trolls, which I kind of expected. "You look terrible", "Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're 32, you look more like 60, 50, 40" and that was pretty predictable.' Campbell explained that she also received comments from people who she called 'concerned trolls'. 'They looked at me and they still thought that what I looked like for my age was unacceptable, but they couched their horror in concern and started trying to rationalise and figure out why I would look the way that I look at the age that I am,' she continued. 'I got told that I had too much sun exposure, that I should wear SPF, that I should not drink alcohol or eat sugar, that I should stay in the shade, that I should have all kinds of antioxidants.' Some trolls even wondered if she smoked cigarettes and suggested that the former Olympian should 'lead an active, healthy lifestyle'. 'Do you know what one of the biggest, contributing factors to aging is?' Campbell said. 'It is stress and let me tell you, going to four Olympic Games is very stressful. So maybe that has something to do with the wrinkles on my face.' Campbell went on to say that she's realised society views aging as something we can avoid if we try hard enough, rather than a natural part of life. 'It feels like we are unable to look at people and see their value based on what their faces look like because we look at them and if it doesn't fit into a very small, narrow beauty standard, we think that they should have tried harder,' she added. 'And I'm just not sure that I want to subscribe to that.' She thanked all those who had sent messages of support - and then also addressed the negativity she's copped. 'I want to give a bigger shout out to the trolls or to the people who were writing in and giving me advice,' she said 'Telling me to stay inside, to put on SPF, to stay in the shade, to drink more water, to get more sleep who made me feel like what my face was doing was a failing on my behalf, was because I wasn't trying hard enough or doing 'the right things'.
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Aussie swimming great Cate Campbell reveals the shattering moment that made her feel like a 'fraud, a fool and a failure'
Aussie swimming great Cate Campbell has opened up on the moment her glittering career ended in heartbreak as she failed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The 32-year-old is one of Australia's most decorated swimmers and was on the cusp of making history as the first Aussie to swim at five Olympic Games. Having captained the Australian team at the Tokyo Games in 2021 - while also competing in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio in 2016 - the four-time gold medallist had worked all her life to achieve extraordinary things. But it came crashing down when Campbell, who also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Communication from the Queensland University of Technology, failed to qualify for the Olympic swimming team in June 2024. She placed seventh in the women's 50m freestyle at Australia's Olympic selection trials in Brisbane, with Shayna Jack and Meg Harris - who went on to win silver in Paris - both being selected for the Games. Campbell had broken down in tears in the pool after missing out on qualifying. She had also missed out qualifying for the 100m freestyle final by one-hundredth of a second earlier in the week. Campbell said she was 'heartbroken' by the moment, having come so agonisingly close to making history as the first Aussie swimmer to appear at five Olympics 'I was heartbroken and I was devastated,' Campbell told the Courier Mail, reflecting on the agonising moment. 'To be honest, I felt foolish. I felt like a fraud. I felt like a failure. I felt like I had wasted the past two years of my life training to this point. 'I was ashamed, I was embarrassed, and it was all of those things because that's what happens when you're out there and you do something vulnerable and it doesn't work out. Then there was the disappointment that this is the end.' Despite the disappointment, she finished her Olympic career with eight medals, including four golds. Those titles accompany her already bursting trophy cabinet, with Campbell having also won six gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and 37 major international medals. Amid the pain she added that there was a sense of 'relief' around the moment. 'There was relief that I could let go and stop fighting,' she added. Much of her life has been devoted to training to help her strive for excellence in the pool. Campbell admitted that she now is excited about the future, and was excited to have her weekends back, she did have some regrets from her career. 'It's the full stop, the closing of the chapter in the book on a career which I'm very happy with and very proud of, but there are regrets and mistakes that you secretly hoped that you could have changed… it's the complete knowledge that part of my life is over.' One of those regrets related to missing out on winning gold in the women's 50m final Rio. Amid the disappointment of that result, she took a break from swimming the following year before bouncing back at the Commonwealth Games, winning gold while also breaking the world record for the women's 4x100m relay alongside her sister Bronte. Campbell, a former chair of the Australian Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission, is now forging a new journey and says she is enjoying the 'ordinary' things in life.
