Joost Reijns surgery for testicular cancer
Joost Reijns last weekend surgery for testicular cancer. At the European Championships Short Course in Szczenin abnormal values were observed at a doping control, which could indicate a serious medical condition. Further investigation revealed that it was testicular cancer and so he was operated immediately.
Thanks to his strong physical condition and the fact that this type of cancer is very treatable (more than 95% of patients fully recovered), there is good hope for a quick recovery and thus still the chance of qualifying for the Olympics 2012 London.
Probably he will now want to force the Swimcup in April in Eindhoven, the last possibility of qualifying.
That such a condition in the long run no negative impact on your swimming career need to have is known . In 2008, the same diagnosis at the American swimmer Eric Shanteau just before the Olympics. He chose first to swim the Olympic Games and will only then to be treated, which not everyone is well understood way. Eventually he was in Beijing on 10th 200m breaststroke and after surgery and rehabilitation he took in 2009 at the World Championships in Rome in the 200m breaststroke and silver in the 200m medley a bronze medal. In 2011 he was 4th in the 200m breaststroke at the World Cup and he guided the (gold) medley relay team through the series.
