Jamaican Record holder Michael Gunning has announced his retirement from competitive swimming, retiring as arguably the fastest male swimmer in Jamaican history. Gunning holds Jamaican Records in the LCM 200 free (1:50.00) and 200 fly (1:59.60).
The 28-year-old has swum for Great Britain, where he grew up, and Jamaica, where his father is from. Gunning, an open gay athlete, switched to competing for Jamaica internationally, despite the rampant homophobia and anti-gay laws in the country. In an interview with the BBC, Gunning says he felt comfortable coming out while competing for Jamaica internationally because he was still training in the UK, and that “If I was out in Jamaica, I would worry. But in the UK I feel very safe and fortunate.”
Jamaican laws on same sex relationships are strict, and according to Gunning, even if you’re seen holding hands with someone of the same sex, you risk being put in jail. In his retirement, Gunning wants to promote the normalization of gay athletes, particularly black gay athletes. He told BBC “I will continue talking out and I would like to go back to Jamaica. I’ll make a bigger impact if I face it there.”
Gunning’s other goal is to promote learning to swim in black communities. “I’m so passionate about getting more black people to learn to swim and help change stereotypes around the world,” he tells BBC. He also added that “I’m only retiring from competitive swimming, because swimming will always be a part of my life.”
Gunning competed at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships. At the 2017 World Champs, Gunning swam the Jamaican Record 1:50.00 200 free in prelims but fell short of advancing to semifinals. Gunning was planning on competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted his ability to train with his coach, and after the Olympics were postponed, FINA made the qualifying standards faster. Gunning had one qualifying opportunity in 2021, and fell just short of qualifying.
Gunning concluded his interview with BBC by saying “Whatever my journey is next, I will try hard. I’m a little scared, a bit daunted, because it’s unknown waters. But I’m ready to face it and make a difference. I want to make a real impact.”