Olympic gold medalist thought he would never compete again after contracting long COVID

Olympian Matt Wearn is preparing to back up his gold medal performance at the Tokyo Olympics in Paris, but there was a period when he thought he would never compete again after contracting long-term COVID-19. .

Wearn won the men’s single-seater laser dinghy category at the Tokyo Olympics, but his triumph was followed by a challenging year.

The youngest of three brothers, Wearn grew up in a Perth sailing family and was introduced to the sport at the age of four.

Despite also playing in top-level AFL, his attention eventually turned to sailing. He has represented Australia in the ILCA 7 class, formerly known as the Laser standard, for over a decade.

Following his Olympic victory, Wearn became seriously ill with COVID-19. He spent much of the next year bedridden, struggling to perform basic tasks and questioning his future in sailing.

“Everyone was thinking, well, now is the time to dominate,” he said.

However, his health problems dashed those expectations.

Wearn was aiming for his first world championship title at the 2022 event in Mexico. Despite finishing second in three previous world titles, he was the favourite.

However, on the first day of the race his health problems became evident.

“We went out on the water and it was becoming a safety issue,” he said.

Dizziness and mental confusion hampered his performance.

In early 2022, Wearn’s health deteriorated further due to gastroenteritis, a non-COVID-19 virus, and an inner ear infection.

These problems aggravated their difficulties in the water.

Despite these setbacks, Wearn secured Australia’s place at the Paris Games by winning the 2023 World Sailing Championships in The Hague.

This victory marked his first world title after three silver medals. He dominated the men’s ILCA7 medal race, confirming his position among the best ILCA sailors in history.

Wearn continued his success by winning a second consecutive title at the 2024 ILCA7 World Championship in Adelaide.

He led all marks in the medal race, becoming the first Australian to win back-to-back world titles since Tom Slingsby in 2012.

“Winning a World Cup is incredible, and repeating it makes it even more special,” he said.

Looking ahead to Paris, Wearn feels fitter and stronger than ever.

‘Now that we’ve done it three times in a row with three different sailors, it’s really special.

“To continue this and bring home a fourth would be really special.”

Even though she still has to deal with lingering COVID symptoms, Wearn remains optimistic.

“It’s about understanding that what I’m going through is nothing compared to what other people are experiencing,” she said.