A week after withdrawing from the Australian Olympic Trials in Brisbane, Cate Campbell declared on social media on Wednesday that it was “time to officially say goodbye to the dream I have had since I was 9 years old.”
Campbell failed to qualify for the 100- and 50-meter freestyle events, which meant she would not have made her sixth Games squad.
As a four-time Olympian, she has broken seven world records, won eight Olympic medals, and is one of the most recognizable figures in Australian sports.
She added, “I am able to look back without regret, even though there are many conflicting emotions, especially because it did not end exactly how I had hoped.”
I put all I had into trying to qualify for a fifth Olympics, so even at the end, there’s a tiny, lingering sense of accomplishment.
The 32-year-old, who first gained attention while competing in the Beijing Games as a teenager, has won 37 significant international medals, 23 of which are gold.
Campbell is regarded as one of the greatest relay swimmers of all time, and the majority of his medals have come from team competitions. He has set world records three times in the 4x100m free relay at the Olympics.
