Natalie Cook’s Olympic Swan Song
Australian beach volleyball veteran Natalie Cook has declared 2012 her last Olympic Games, after becoming convinced her time has passed. After competing alongside her girlfriend Tamsin Hinchley and posting a third straight pool match loss to exit winless, 37 year old Cook told the media it was time for “a rest” that she wouldn’t come back from – and fair enough too. Cook won a bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and gold at the 2000 Sydney Games, and says she has set her sights on a future Olympic support role. Hopefully with these endeavours she can encourage future LGBT competitors to show the world what they’ve got.
