James Magnussen cleared of serious back injury

James Magnussen will battle on with a degenerative back for the rest of his swimming career after scans revealed the extent of the damage to the injury that plagued his Commonwealth Games.

Magnussen still walked away from Glasgow with two gold medals, but swam in pain towards the end of the meet. While the injury has long-term repercussions for the Commonwealth 100 metre freestyle champion, it won’t keep him out of the Pan Pacific Championships on the Gold Coast from August 21. Magnussen received the results on Tuesday.

“It’s been an ongoing issue for a number of years,” Magnussen said. “Recently it has flared up worse than the past. [The MRI scans] found degenerative damage from the last few years when I grew quite quickly, probably too quickly for what my body was prepared for. There’s a few minor disc issues and some facet joint issues. There is a bit going on there but I’ll stay on top of it with my recovery and preparation and do the best I can. I’ve had back issues in the past. I’m used to dealing with them.”

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