‘It’s been a bit of a shock’
HEART SCARE FOR GILL
Kiwi shot putter Jacko Gill’s Commonwealth Games hopes have been derailed by a life-threatening heart scare.
The 22-year-old spent eight days in hospital after he woke up with a sharp pain in his chest and arm a fortnight ago, he told NZME.
A visit to the doctor confirmed he has myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle which hinders its ability to pump blood around the body.
Gill is expected to make a full recovery from the condition, which in rare cases can result in long-term damage and even cause death.
‘‘I was lost for words when I got those results. It was a shock. I wasn’t really expecting anything but I wanted to get it checked out just to be safe. To have significant heart damage at my age is a bit worrying but there are other high performance athletes it happens to. It’s just bad luck. It’s been a bit of a shock these past two weeks.’’
Gill will go from training twice a day to resting for the next six months. He’ll have a cardiac scan in three months.
‘‘A full recovery is expected so I’ve just got to be sensible and look after myself and I’ll be back to 100 per cent in six months, hopefully. I’ll be looking forward to getting back into training. It’s driving me crazy already,’’ he said.
With Gill out of action, fans won’t get to see the Aucklander go head-to-head with Canterbury’s world champion Tom Walsh for some time. Not only would the pair have lined up against each other at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April, they likely would have squared off at the Big Shot in Christchurch on March 16 and the Timaru Super Shot on March 14.
Gill will also miss the 2018 Birmingham IAAF World Indoor Championships in March.
Athletics New Zealand high performance medical director Dr Dan Exeter will consult with leading New Zealand cardiologists in three months, before advising Gill and his support team in regards to a gradual return to training.
‘‘With careful management he should be able to return to training and competition in the latter half of 2018,’’ a statement from ANZ said.
ANZ high performance director Scott Goodman has caught up with Gill since the diagnosis, and said he was ‘‘disappointed’’ but in good spirits.
‘‘From an ANZ high performance programme perspective, we are hopeful that Jacko can return and be a medal contender at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, but that is inconsequential compared to his health and well-being.’’
Gill’s coach the past three years, Kirsten Hellier, told NZME she’d never anything like the heart issue Gill was recovering from.
‘‘Hopefully it’s going to be the last time we experience it. High performance sport is challenging athletes to put their bodies under strain all the time,’’ Hellier said.