Bolgarka Kapas has swum at her final Olympic Games, saying that she will retire from competitive swimming in December. She hopes that the World Short Course Championships, hosted in Budapest in her home country, will be her finale and goodbye to the sport.
Kapas swam for Hungary at five straight Olympic Games from 2008 through 2024. That included a bronze medal in the 800 free at the 2016 Olympic Games.
A versatile swimmer, she was the 2019 World Champion in the 200 fly, the 2015 World Championship bronze medalist in the 1500 free, and has 18 European Championship medals in five different events.
Kapas, 31, first represented Hungary internationally at the 2007 European Youth Olympic Festival when she was 14. A year later, she was on the team for the European Junior Championships, where she finished 29th in the 400 free individually.
In ensuing years, she would become a fixture of Hungarian international teams, swimming at the World Aquatics Championships every year from 2011 through 2023.
At the 2024 Olympics, Kapas finished 14th in the semi-finals of the 200 fly, missing advancement by 1.7 seconds.
Kapas says that while her retirement is imminent, that of her husband and fellow Olympian Adam Telegdy, 28, is not coming any time soon. The two were married in 2022.
Kapas has posted several photos in the last month highlighting her first and last Olympic Games.
Budapest is hosting the World Short Course Championships in December so this will be the ideal time for Bogi to say thank you and goodbye.
Great career!