Newcastle paratriathlete Lauren Parker has her "fingers crossed" as she races the clock to overcame an ovarian cyst and compete in Friday's opening 2020 Games qualifier in Canada.
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The 30-year-old landed in Montreal on Wednesday but underwent scans in hospital after experiencing pain on the long-haul flight from Australia.
She remains hopeful of making the start line, which marks the first chance to collect points in an attempt to earn a spot at next year's Tokyo Paralympics.
"It was my first day in Montreal today and had to spend it in hospital," Parker posted on social media.
"Ever since I left Sydney for 35 hours of travel I had increasingly really bad stomach pain.
After tests and scans were done today turns out I have an ovarian cyst."
- Lauren Parker
"After tests and scans were done today turns out I have an ovarian cyst.
"Hopefully with meds [medication] it can be resolved and I can race on Friday in the first race of the Olympic qualifying period!"
She followed up with a series of hashtags, including "always in hospital" and "fingers crossed".
Parker recovered to claim a World Paratriathlon Series bronze medal in Yokohama last month just six weeks post spinal surgery.
This followed on from bronze at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, achieved in April 2018 less than 12 months after a serious training accident left her paralysed from the waist down.
Parker spoke to Triathlon Australia media recently before experiencing her latest health complications.
"Training has been going well and it's great to have an uninterrupted preparation this time, following the spinal surgery I had in the lead up to my last race in Yokohama," she said.
"The Montreal WPS event provides extra significance as not only will it be my first time racing in Canada, but it brings with it the first chance to score points to go towards qualification for next year's Paralympics in Toyko.
"I've highlighted the Paralympics as my major goal for the coming 18 months so every race from now on will be even more important.
"There is still plenty of improvement to come in my racing but I'm happy with how I'm progressing under my coach Dan Atkins and race chair coach Andrew Dawes."
ITU Paratriathlon World Cup events are coming up in Canada (July 13-14), Japan (August 17), Spain (September 8), Turkey (October 5-6) and Portugal (October 19-20) while the Paratriathlon European Championships are scheduled for Valencia on September 14. Tapp is due to race in Montreal.
