Olympic medalist Madi Wilson has announced a change in training base, as the Australian makes the move from St. Peters Western to Bond to continue in her quest for Tokyo 2020. The 22-year-old, who recently competed rather quietly at the Australian National Championships last month, had been training under storied Aussie coach Michael Bohl alongside high-profile teammates Mitch Larkin, Maddie Groves and Emma McKeon, all of whom medaled individually at the 2016 Olympic Games.
Wilson was a medalist in Rio herself, earning gold as a member of her nation’s 4×100 freestyle relay prelim and silver in the 4×100 medley relay prelim. She also finaled in the 100m backstroke individually, but wound up 8th. Before leaving Rio, Wilson was briefly hospitalized for abdominal pains, but was released without incident.
Per her own social media posts, Wilson plans on moving to Bond University, home of the fastest 100 freestyler ever in a textile suit, Cameron McEvoy. On-the-rise sprint star Brayden McCarthy also trains there, as does Alexander Graham. Both Graham and Wilson will be on the roster for Budapest, although Coach Richard Scarce was not named to the World Championships coaching staff.
Below is Wilson’s heartfelt post regarding her move:
It’s hard to put into words my experience over the last 10 years at St Peters Western swimming Club, but it’s nothing short of incredible. I am beyond grateful for the friendships I have shared, the experiences that I have endured and the results I have achieved. To my coach Michael Bohl an incredible role model and inspirational man, my teammates who were more like my family and the whole St. Peter’s community THANKYOU. The impact on my life these people have had is incredibly huge and I can comfortably say I wouldn’t be the person or athlete I am without these inspirational people. My journey with St. Peter’s is now at an end and even though I will miss it incredibly I’m beyond excited for the next phase of my journey, I will be with Bond swimming club on the Gold Coast and I’m looking forward to swimming with my new squad and coach, making new friends and tackling many new challenges and experiences