Kim Mickle is attended to by medical staff after dislocating her shoulder in the women’s javelin at the Rio Games.
AUSTRALIAN javelin athlete Kim Mickle threw only three times prior to the Olympic Games after reconstructive surgery but says she has no regrets about pushing herself so hard in Rio she literally threw her shoulder out of its socket.
Mickle left the field in agony on Wednesday when, pushing for a spot in the final with her last qualifying throw, the 31-year-old dislocated her right shoulder.
It was the same shoulder Mickle had fully reconstructed only 11 months earlier but the Perth athlete said she’d rehabbed it so well the joint was “as strong as an ox”.
Kim Mickle in action for Australia at the Rio Olympics.Source:Getty Images
“We did all the strength tests and it was actually in really good shape,” Mickle said.
“You just can’t replicate a javelin throw, especially the intensity you put in at an Olympic Games.
“I always said I was going to give it 110 per cent. Leading in I proved the fitness, I had the scans, the shoulder was in great shape.
“I threw at 100 per cent before I left but then everyone knows at the Olympic Games, that’s when you throw 110 per cent.”
Asked how many throws she had done in training prior to the Games, Mickle said: “I had three full run-up training throws.”
“There were two comp-style throws and then one in Florida (at a training camp),” Mickle continued.
“I threw a 58 and a 60 back in Perth and then one full throw in Florida where we had our head coach and all the doctors and stuff there, and they were really impressed with how it was all going. I threw it nice and hard and the jav flight was amazing.”
photo galleryRio Day 12: Aussies at the 2016 Olympics
Caroline Buchanan gets some practice in before the BMX seeding run at the Olympic BMX Centre in Deodoro. Picture: Adam Head1 of 26
Australia's Sam Willoughby takes a practice run before the start of the men's BMX cycling seeding phase runs at the X-Park BMX venue in Deodoro during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 17, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / CARL DE SOUZA2 of 26
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 17: Brooke Stratton of Australia competes in the Women's Long Jump final on Day 12 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 17, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)3 of 26
Australia's Brooke Stratton in the Women's Long Jump Final during the Athletics on Day 12 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Picture: Phil Hillyard4 of 26
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 17: Brooke Stratton of Australia competes in the Women's Long Jump Final on Day 12 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 17, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)5 of 26
Rio Olympics 2016. The Women's Preliminary 10m Platform Diving at Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre, Olymic Park Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Australia's Melissa Wu. Picture: Alex Coppel6 of 26
Rio Olympics 2016. The Women's Preliminary 10m Platform Diving at Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre, Olymic Park Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Australia's Melissa Wu. Picture: Alex Coppel7 of 26
Australia's Brittany O'Brien competes in the Women's 10m Platform Preliminary at the diving event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 17, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Martin BUREAU8 of 26
Rio Olympics 2016. The Women's Preliminary 10m Platform Diving at Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre, Olymic Park Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Malaysia's Dhabitah Nur Sabri after her dive. Picture: Alex Coppel9 of 26
Rio Olympics 2016. The Men's Australian Basketball team, the Boomers, v. Lithuania at Carioca 1, in Olymic Park Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Australia's Matthew Dellavedova. Picture: Alex Coppel10 of 26
Rio Olympics 2016. The Men's Australian Basketball team, the Boomers, v. Lithuania at Carioca 1, in Olymic Park Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Australia's Liz Cambage in the crowd. Picture: Alex Coppel11 of 26
An overview shows Australia's forward Aron Baynes scoring during a Men's quarterfinal basketball match between Australia and Lithuania at the Carioca Arena 1 in Rio de Janeiro on August 17, 2016 during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. / AFP PHOTO / Andrej ISAKOVIC12 of 26
Australia's forward Aron Baynes hangs onto the rim after scoring during a Men's quarterfinal basketball match between Australia and Lithuania at the Carioca Arena 1 in Rio de Janeiro on August 17, 2016 during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. / AFP PHOTO / Andrej ISAKOVIC13 of 26
Australia's guard Patty Mills reacts after defeating Lithuania during a Men's quarterfinal basketball match between Australia and Lithuania at the Carioca Arena 1 in Rio de Janeiro on August 17, 2016 during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON14 of 26
Australia's forward Aron Baynes (R) recats after defeating Lithuania during a Men's quarterfinal basketball match between Australia and Lithuania at the Carioca Arena 1 in Rio de Janeiro on August 17, 2016 during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON15 of 26
Caroline Buchanan after BMX seeding run at the Olympic BMX Centre in Deodoro. Picture: Adam Head16 of 26
Caroline Buchanan gets some practice in before the BMX seeding run at the Olympic BMX Centre in Deodoro. Picture: Adam Head17 of 26
Bodi Turner in action during the BMX seeding run at the Olympic BMX Centre in Deodoro. Picture: Adam Head18 of 26
Sam Willoughby in action during the BMX seeding run at the Olympic BMX Centre in Deodoro. Picture: Adam Head19 of 26
Caroline Buchanan gets under way in the BMX seeding run at the Olympic BMX Centre in Deodoro. Picture: Adam Head20 of 26
Rod Turner, Emma Chilman, Karen Turner, Gail Buchanan, Laurie Buchanan, and Emma Pattinson in the crowd cheering the riders on during the BMX seeding run at the Olympic BMX Centre in Deodoro. Picture: Adam Head21 of 26
Australia's Brett Robinson and Patrick Tiernan in the Men's 5000m Round 1during the Athletics on Day 12 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Picture: Phil Hillyard22 of 26
Australia's Patrick Tiernan in the Men's 5000m Round 1 during the Athletics on Day 12 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Picture: Phil Hillyard23 of 26
Thailand's Tawin Hanprab (R) competes against Australia's Safwan Khalil during their men's taekwondo quarter-final bout in the -68kg category as part of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, on August 18, 2016, at the Carioca Arena 3, in Rio de Janeiro. / AFP PHOTO / Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV24 of 26
Australia's Cedric Dubler in the Men's Decathlon 400m heat during day 12 of the athletics at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Picture: Brett Costello25 of 26
Australia's Cedric Dubler in the Men's Decathlon 400m heat during day 12 of the athletics at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Picture: Brett Costello26 of 26
Head coach of Australia’s athletic team Craig Hilliard denied on Wednesday that Mickle was not ready for competition, and that she’d been passed medically fit.
Mickle said she’d planned to throw within herself to save her strength but launch one long enough to make the final. When she realised she needed to throw big on her third attempt to qualify for the final, Mickle gave it everything and her shoulder gave way.
Mickle took to Instagram to post a photo of her X-rayed shoulder.Source:Instagram
“Once the third throw came and I knew I had to give it a crack, it unravelled from there. There are no regrets. I would do it over again,” Mickle said.
“There was certainly no way I was going to go out there and not give my best.
“It’s like rolling your ankle, once you do it once in your life you are probably doomed for the rest of your life to be a bit susceptible to it.”
Mickle said she had no problem with being left on the track after popping her shoulder but she described as “horrible” the three-hour wait for the joint to eventually be relocated under anaethestic.
Mickle is due to head home and meet her surgeon to assess whether she needs an operation.
She has no plans to retire, however, and is keen to push on towards the world championship and Commonnwealth Games.
Originally published as ‘No regrets, I’d do it over again’
