Cook said the decision would give her a chance to reset after a big 2016 campaign that saw her win Olympic silver with the Australian women’s 4x200m freestyle relay squad in Rio.
“I’ve made the really tough decision to withdraw from Nationals and take a bit of a break from swimming,” she said.
“I didn’t feel like I could perform to the standard required and rather than push through and hope for the best, I’ve decided to take a mini-break and come back refreshed and refocused.”
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READ NOWCook is planning a two-month hiatus and will aim to compete in the Mare Nostrum Series (in Europe) later this year ahead of a longer-term goal to represent Australia again at next year’s Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
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The 18-year-old said she plans to utilise her training break to commit more time towards her academic pursuits.
“During my time off I hope to focus on my studies and achieve in areas outside of the water that will contribute to life goals in the future,” she said.
Cook’s withdrawal from the Australian Championships in Brisbane means she will not seek selection on the Australian Dolphins team at this year’s FINA World Championships in Budapest in July.