Aussie Olympic champion Madi Wilson makes incredible return to the pool

Aussie Olympic champion Madi Wilson has beaten her previous personal best time in the 50m freestyle not long after she was hospitalised with coronavirus.

Despite having been double-vaccinated against Covid-19, Wilson was admitted to a Naples hospital two weeks ago while competing in the International Swim League’s 2021 season in Italy.

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Racing for the LA Current, Wilson had been tearing it up in the ISL, winning three matches of the women’s 200m freestyle. She also finished equal first in one match of the women’s 400m freestyle and beat all comers in one match of the women’s 100m freestyle.

She was struck down with Covid-19 ahead of match eight.

“I am extremely disappointed and upset not to be racing alongside my teammates in match eight here in the ISL,” Wilson said of her diagnosis at the time.

“I recently tested positive for Covid and yesterday was moved into hospital for further care and observation.

“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.”

It hasn’t taken long for Wilson to not only make a full recovery, but to record a new personal best time on her return to the pool.

At the FINA World Cup in Berlin on Saturday (AEST), Wilson finished third in the women’s 50m freestyle final. Her time of 24.04 was an improvement upon her previous best for the event (24.18), which she set in November last year.

Wilson placed second in her heat, recording a time of 24:19, and advanced to the final, where she was defeated only by Sweden’s Michelle Coleman and fellow Aussie swim star Emma McKeon.

McKeon’s time of 23.56 in the final was also a new personal best.

Australian Commonwealth Games silver medallist Holly Barratt qualified for the final as well, finishing fifth.

As if blitzing her previous PB in the 50m freestyle wasn’t enough, Wilson also took out first place in the women’s 200 metre freestyle finals with a time of 1:54.00.