Cotterell, Hackett’s coach, friend and mentor during much of the swimmer’s time in the pool, said Hackett had been given Stilnox by team officials throughout his career, which included three Olympic gold medals in the 1500 m freestyle.
He said Stilnox, now banned by Swimming Australia, was often given to help swimmers sleep on long flights and on the evening before big races.
“Unfortunately being on those teams so long probably deepened the addiction,” he said. Staff, he said, only told them it was addictive years after they began offering it.
“He started doing that every meet,” Cotterell said. “And when you are on the team for 12 years, and you are winning, you don’t change too much. Then all of a sudden they turn around and say, ‘By the way it is addictive.'”
Hackett has just spent five weeks in rehabilitation in the United States following a bizarre incident in which he appeared semi-naked with a singlet wrapped around his waist looking for his missing four-year-old son at Melbourne’s Crown Casino complex in February.
Hackett spoke to reporters about his rehab for the first time yesterday.
“It just gets to a situation in life where you’re not coping too well, and you need to put your hand up and ask for help. I certainly got to that situation,” he told the Nine Network.
“I feel proud of myself that I had the strength and courage to do that, because I want to have a great and happy life ahead of me. I want to be a great father and I want to do all those things properly.
“Certainly what I’ve learnt over the past five weeks has put me in a position to do all those things a lot better.”
Cotterell said whatever the circumstances Hackett would always be remembered as one of the great Australian swimmers.
“Ultimately history will put a bit of balance on things,” he said. “Whatever has happened will never take away the status he holds in swimming.”
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