Sydney (AFP)
Australian women's basketball player Liz Cambage announced her withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, citing a mental health issue fueled by the prospect of "terrifying" isolation in the anti-health bubble. -Covid.
The Opals star, Australia's women's basketball team, said she could not compete with confidence at the highest level in Japan as she suffered from "panic attacks, not sleeping and not eating".
"I was really worried about making the + bubble + Olympics," said the 2.03m pivot, who holds the record for points in a single WNBA game, 53 in a statement. 2018.
"No family. No friends. No fans. No support system outside of my team. It's honestly terrifying for me," said the Las Vegas Aces player, who has revealed in the past to have suffered mental health problems.
“It breaks my heart to announce that I am retiring from the Olympics, but I think it's best for the Opals and for myself,” she said.
Australia's Olympic mission chief to Japan, Ian Chesterman, said he understood his decision and wished him a full recovery.
"Liz has made a great contribution to the Australian Olympic team during two Olympic Games campaigns," recalled Chesterman.
The 29-year-old won bronze with the Opals at the London Olympics in 2012.
She is the second Australian basketball player to withdraw from the Games citing mental health issues, after fullback Ryan Broekhoff in June.
Earlier this year, Liz Cambage, born to a Nigerian father and an Australian mother, briefly threatened to boycott the competition due to the lack of racial diversity that she said existed in promotional photos released by the Australian Olympic Committee. .
The Committee then publicly admitted that she was right and promised that future photo ops would reflect the diversity of her athletes.
© 2021 AFP