Olympic swimmer Brianna Throssell gets botched Olympic ring tattoo removed, issues advice warning
A Perth Olympian has warned people to research carefully when choosing a tattooist after she began the painful process of getting her sentimental Olympic ring tattoo removed.
Brianna Throssell told her fans in a TikTok video to choose their tattoo parlour and artist wisely after the Olympic ring tattoo she got inked after competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics bled out and faded.
The 28-year-old said she got it touched up after the Tokyo Olympics but has now decided she wants it completely removed as it looks “god awful”.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“It’s wild how awful it is,” she said.
“I wear a whoop (fitness tracker) on my right hand so it’s covered, I never see it, it’s so ugly.”
Throssell said the “lesson for anyone” was “learn to do research before choosing your tattoo artist, don’t make a mistake like me”.
The swimming champion realised it “was suss” when she discovered the parlour where she first got the tattoo done had closed down.
Throssell also took viewers behind the scenes of her first laser session to remove the tattoo, in which she described the pain as “a sharp pinging sensation” but “bearable”.
If the botched art is removed after eight laser sessions, Throssell will have the tattoo done again by a reputable parlour.
“It’s safe to say I’m never getting any more,” she said.
Throsell’s second tattoo is on her right arm. It is the number 728, which represents her 2016 athlete number.
The Olympic ring tattoo is popular among the Olympic community, and many athletes get the iconic symbol inked on their bodies after competing at the games.
Last month, Throssell got engaged to health and fitness enthusiast Josh Milner on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.
The athlete won a gold medal in the women’s 4 x 200m freestyle relay at the Paris Olympics alongside her teammates Mollie O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister and Ariarne Titmus.
Throssell first represented Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, but she did not win gold at the Tokyo Olympics until 2021.
She won a gold medal in the Women’s 4 x 100-metre medley relay and a bronze medal in the Mixed 4 x 100-metre medley relay after swimming the butterfly leg in the heats for both events.
