(Reuters) – Hungary’s ‘Iron Lady’ Katinka Hosszu has retired from swimming at the age of 35, with the three-times Olympic champion saying she is looking forward to helping young athletes follow their dreams in the sport.
Hosszu competed at five editions of the Games, winning gold in the 200m and 400m individual medley and 100m backstroke, as well as a silver in the 200m backstroke, at Rio in 2016.
“For 30 years, the water has been my home, a sanctuary where I found solace and strength,” she wrote in a post on Instagram on Wednesday. “From the moment I first stepped into the pool as a child, I knew I had discovered something magical.
“In the coming years, I hope to share this passion with others – teaching young swimmers the magic I’ve found in the water and encouraging them to follow their dreams.”
Hosszu, who gave birth to her daughter in 2023, made her Olympic debut as a teenager in Athens in 2004 and went on to compete at the Games in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2021.
She won nine world championships golds and her 200m medley world record from Kazan in 2015 still stands.
“She is an athlete who has inspired generations, not only at home but around the world,” Hungarian Swimming Association President Sandor Wladar said in a statement.
“Through her tireless work and unwavering faith, she has proven that the impossible does not exist.”
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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