Olympian Tyler Smith has opened up about his struggles with injury as he embarks on the next phase of his career.

The 26-year-old triathlete travelled to Boston before Christmas for successful surgery on a persistent wrist problem, and feels a sense of relief now that he is back on his bike and in the water just a few weeks later.

“I’m not completely out of the woods, but it’s significantly reduced pain,” Smith said.

“There is still a bit of rehab to do to get the range in motion back, but it’s basically pain-free for the first time in 2½ years. It’s just such a relief and a huge weight off my shoulders; something removed from the back of my mind every time I train.”

Smith had no option but to race on during the qualification period for the Paris Olympics but he had to deal with chronic pain, which he admits affected his love for the triathlon.

“Obviously, there are people with much bigger issues and major health concerns but when you have chronic pain over a long, long time it can definitely wear on you mentally,” Smith said.

“You are never able to escape it and in a lot of ways it takes the enjoyment out of what you do. Even if you have a good day, you’re not sore in the typical way such as muscles aching or fatigue, it’s a different type of pain.

“It took away the enjoyment of training and that’s something I love. I love the sport that I’m able to do but over the last couple of years, when you have these injuries, it is difficult as it contrasts with everything you like to do.

“All of a sudden the things you identify yourself with as an athlete and a big part of who you are is causing you pain, and that’s a difficult place to be. Also, your pain threshold is only so high, so it takes a bit of capacity away from the pain that you can experience from actually doing the sport. It’s almost harder to push yourself to a point of fatigue when you have that physical problem.”

So with one problem solved it is on to another and Smith is hopeful that his doctors are close to identifying the cause of his Achilles injury.

“There’s been good progress on the Achilles and I’ve been able to talk to a number of people, get some really good opinions and we think we have it narrowed down to what the issue could be,” Smith said.

“Now it’s just going through the treatment process for that and things are moving pretty well. I don’t really have a full picture and surgery would be a last resort, but we are optimistic that we can treat it through more conservative means.”

With the process for qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics not starting until May 2026, the next few months afford Smith the chance to focus on recovery and rejuvenation.

“With that external pressure of OIympic qualification removed you don’t want to take a ridiculously long time to sort it out but it’s worth getting it right rather than having to take six weeks off in 2026 when the LA Olympic qualification period starts in May 2026 and you’re on the back foot,” Smith said.

“Right now, I’m just taking it one week at a time, one month at time. I just have to prioritise getting all my ducks in a row with these injuries, and we’re getting there, and then as the season draws near start to have a look at what makes sense but I certainly don’t want to rush the recovery.

“Races this year do not mean anything for Olympic qualification and a lot of guys who would traditionally race the World Series are doing other things like long course or taking time off racing. So I think the priority for me is to get to 100 per cent health and give myself a good chance to be consistent for the remaining years of my career.

“The big thing I learnt from the last Olympic cycle is that you can only get so far not at 100 per cent health and that’s probably the most important thing going forward.”

Smith is preparing to move to Spain, where he will join a new training camp with top coaches, and is looking forward to the next chapter of his career.

“I’m really excited to get over to Spain and join a new group and a new coach,” he said.

“I’m already working with the coaches at a distance online and the idea would be to get over there in late February or early March. I’m looking to establish myself there during the spring and summer and be based over there full time.

“I’m really optimistic about how things are going and I’m super excited to be back and giving myself a chance to compete where my capacity is at and my potential is at. I think the sky’s the limit.”