David Palmer has achieved everything possible in a 25-year squash career including being world number 1, a world open win and medals of every colour but he couldn’t resist one more big event.
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The 41-year-old has come out of retirement to seek glory at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
A Lithgow native who at one stage was coached by former Bathurst City Squash Club proprietor Peter Chard, Palmer is making his sixth appearance at Commonwealth Games level.
He officially retired in 2011, and coaches at Cornell University in New York, but the Commonwealth Games has proved a powerful lure for him to pick up the racket again on two occasions, in 2014 at Glasgow, and now in his home country, at the Gold Coast.
He turned back the clock in 2014, winning gold medals in the mixed doubles and men’s doubles, completing the set after winning four bronze and two silvers at the previous four Commonwealth Games.
This time he will link with Zac Alexander in the men’s doubles competition. For Alexander it is his first Commonwealth Games appearance and he said the goal was a medal of some colour.
The pair will meet Cayman Islands duo Jacob Kelly and Alex Frazer on Tuesday in the first of their pool games at Oxenford Studios.
Then on Wednesday the Australians will be looking for success against Jamaica’s Chris Binney and Lewis Walters.
“Having the Commonwealth Games back in Australia is great motivation for me to come out of retirement,” Palmer told gc2018.com.
Despite everything he has achieved in a glittering career, Palmer said it was disappointing squash hadn’t been considered an Olympic sport and said it was great the Commonwealth Games included it.
"Any opportunity to showcase squash is very important," he said.
"It’s been a big frustration over our careers that we haven’t had the chance to represent Australia at the Olympics.
"To hopefully open up the eyes of the International Olympic Committee and show them why squash should be in the Olympics is very exciting."
Palmer’s gold medal mixed doubles partner from Glasgow 2014, Rachael Grinham, will contest her fifth Games.
Australia’s Chef de Mission for Gold Coast 2018 Steve Moneghetti recognised the efforts of both players and what they would bring to the squash team.
“What an amazing achievement from David Palmer and Rachael Grinham to be named on their sixth and fifth Commonwealth Games team respectively,” Moneghetti said.
“And what an opportunity for some of our emerging players to learn from them.”
