Swimming | Large tumors were found in the brain of the 23-year-old swimming star, which cannot be operated

British swimmer Archie Goodburn not seen at the Paris Olympics. Goodburn narrowly missed out on a place in the British qualifiers, and the tests carried out afterwards revealed something considerably more serious than the Olympics.

Three large tumors were found in Goodburn’s brain. The tumors are oligodendroglioma, i.e. a rare protuberant cell tumor.

In Goodburn’s case, the tumors cannot be cut. Cancer treatments are radiotherapy and cytostatic therapy.

Goodburn said on Instagram that the strange headache attacks started in December of last year. They caused weakness and numbness on the left side of the body. He continued training, but after the Olympic qualifiers, the seriousness of the situation became clear in more detailed examinations.

“What terrifies me the most is the true nature of the brain tumor and how it threatens who I really am. I like myself and I don’t want it (cancer) to change me,” Goodburn writes.

Oligodendroglioma is a slow-growing cancer, and Goodburn is optimistic about the future.

“The silver lining here is that radiation and chemotherapy generally work better for oligodendroglioma than for many other serious forms of cancer.”

“I’m going to face this with my head held high, stay positive and continue to be Archie.”

Goodburn took bronze at the Under-19 World Championships in 2019. He will represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Last year he was coming off a silver medal in the 4x50m relay at the European Short Track Championships.