- Cate Campbell has retired from elite swimming with immediate effect
- It comes after the four-time Olympian failed to qualify for the Paris Games.
- She has won eight Olympic medals since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Australian pool queen Cate Campbell has officially announced her immediate retirement from elite swimming.
This comes after Campbell, 32, recently failed at the national trials in Brisbane in his bid to compete in a record fifth Olympic Games.
‘Big dreams come from small things’, Campbell posted on Instagram.
‘After more than 20 years, more than 35,000 km, more than 19,000,000 strokes, four Olympic Games, eight Olympic medals, seven world records and countless memories, it is time to officially say goodbye to the dream I have had since I was 9 years.
‘As of today I am officially retired from elite sport.
“I’ve had some time over the past week to reflect on my career, and although there are a lot of mixed emotions, especially as it didn’t end exactly as I expected, I can still look back with no regrets.
“I gave everything I had to the pursuit of a fifth Olympic Games and so, even in failure, there remains a small, indelible core of pride.”
Campbell acknowledged the high level of support he received throughout his decorated career.
Australian pool queen Cate Campbell has officially announced her retirement from elite swimming.
This comes after Campbell (pictured right in a yellow swimming cap) was recently unsuccessful at the national trials in Brisbane in his bid to compete in a record fifth Olympic Games.
Campbell (pictured in the middle) has won eight Olympic medals since her first Games in Beijing in 2008.
“One of the biggest myths is that swimming is an individual sport,” he added.
‘Even though it was just me under the bright lights behind the starting blocks, there was a small army of people who carried me to that place.
‘Therefore, I would like to thank my expanded team over the years.
“My family, my friends, my partner, my competitors, my Australian Dolphins teammates, my management team, my physiotherapists, my coaches, Swimming Australia, the Queensland Sports Academy, the Australian Olympic Committee, the Institute of NSW Sports, my sponsors, the swimming officials and referees, the netball kids, the event teams and all the swimming fans who have supported me over the years.
Campbell enjoyed a very successful career with her glasses on, earning her first Olympic bronze medals at her first games in Beijing in 2008 when she was 16 years old.
Over the next three Games, he took to the stage frequently, winning four gold medals and one silver.
Australian swimming great Libby Trickett was among those who paid tribute to Campbell in response to the news of his retirement.
But not all of the comments on Campbell’s Instagram update were positive: Many American swimming fans were highly critical of the freestyle sprinter.
It comes after the veteran got into a war of words with retired American superstar swimmer Michael Phelps, with Campbell also previously branding Australia’s biggest pool rivals “sore losers” after the Dolphins won more medals in the last year’s world championship.
“At least you won’t have to listen to the star-studded banner (in Paris),” wrote one “fan.”
Another posted: ‘What does karma taste like?
