Olympic gold medal swimmer Madi Wilson hospitalized with COVID-19
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Olympic gold medalist Madi Wilson revealed on Monday that she's been hospitalized with COVID-19.
The Australian swimmer who won Olympic gold in 4x100 freestyle in Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2021) made the announcement on Instagram, writing that she's "extremely disappointed and upset not to be racing along side my teammates" in an International Swimming League competition.
"It’s been a crazy few months and I believe being run down physically and mentally may have made me more susceptible," Wilson wrote. "I feel extremely unlucky but I do believe this is a huge wake up call.
"Covid is a serious thing and when it comes it hits very hard. I'd be stupid to say I wasn't scared."
Wilson has 'underlying chest and lung issues'
Wilson wrote that she's "double vaccinated" and described her hospitalization as "precautionary." She posted in subsequent Instagram stories that she has "underlying chest and lung issues" and believes that receiving the vaccine prevented her case from being worse.
"Mostly I just wanted to jump on and continue to encourage people to get vaccinated," Wilson said. "I did end up in hospital, but that is as a precautionary because I do have underlying chest and lung issues.
"(The vaccine) protected the people around me who I've been close to over this last period of time, and I am so grateful for that because I would not want anyone else in this situation. I truly believe it reduced what happened to me and what could happen to me."
Wilson, 27, has competed internationally for Australia since 2012. In addition to her Olympic gold medals, Wilson won silver in Rio in the 2016 4x100 medley and bronze in Tokyo in the 4x200 freestyle. She also owns three gold medals in FINA World Championships competition.
