Olympic gold medalist thought he would never compete again after contracting long COVID

Olympian Matt Wearn is preparing to back up his gold medal performance at the Tokyo Olympics in Paris, but there was a period he thought he might never compete again after contracting long COVID .

Wearn won the Tokyo Olympics Sailing Men's One Person Dinghy - Laser, but his triumph was followed by a challenging year.

Wearn, the youngest of three children, grew up in a Perth sailing family and was introduced to the sport at age four. 

Despite also playing top-tier AFL, his focus eventually turned to sailing. He has represented Australia in the ILCA 7 class, previously known as Laser standard, for over a decade.

After his Olympic victory, Wearn fell severely ill with long COVID. He spent most of the next year bedridden, struggling to perform basic tasks and questioning his future in sailing. 

'Everyone was just like, well, 'now it's time to dominate,' he said. 

However, his health issues derailed those expectations.

Wearn aimed for his first world championship title at the 2022 event in Mexico Despite finishing second in three previous world titles, he was the favourite. 

However, on the first day of the regatta, his health issues became apparent. 

'We went out in the water and it was becoming a safety issue,' he said. 

Dizziness and brain fog hindered his performance.

In early 2022, Wearn's health deteriorated further with gastro, a non-COVID virus, COVID-19 itself, and an inner-ear infection. 

These compounded his struggles on the water. 

Despite these setbacks, Wearn secured Australia's quota place for the Paris Games by winning the 2023 World Sailing Championships in The Hague. 

This victory marked his first world title after three silver medals. He dominated the men's ILCA7 medal race, confirming his position among the top ILCA sailors in history.

Wearn continued his success by winning a second consecutive title at the 2024 ILCA7 World Championships in Adelaide. 

He led every mark in the medal race, becoming the first Australian to win back-to-back world titles since Tom Slingsby in 2012. 

'To win a worlds is pretty incredible, and to go back-to-back just makes it that much more special,' he said.

Looking forward to Paris, Wearn feels fitter and stronger than ever. 

'Now, we've done it three times in a row with three different sailors is really special. 

To continue that and bring home a fourth would be really special.' 

Despite still dealing with long COVID symptoms, Wearn remains optimistic. 

'It's about understanding the stuff I'm going through is nothing compared to what other people are experiencing,' he said.