One of the most promising swimming Olympians from Spain for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles has announced he is putting his career on hold.
Carlos Garach, a 20-year-old who competed for Spain in last summer’s Paris Olympics, announced on Instagram that he is stepping away from swimming to pursue a military career.
Garach finished 19th in the men’s 800 meter freestyle and 22nd in the 1500 free at the Paris Olympics, and was expected to compete in the 10km open water event before withdrawing.
In his Instagram post, Garach said, “I have decided to leave swimming for a while. I don’t know how long it will last, but I’m sure I will return.”
Garach burst onto the swimming scene in 2022 at the World Junior Championships, where he won the gold medal in both the 800 and 1500 freestyle events to showcase that he was a potential future star in the sport.
He still might be, but time will tell when he can come back to the pool, and if he does, how long it will take to regain his form. Garach holds Spain’s national record in the 400 freestyle (3:47.98).
Spain’s Ministry of Defense recently unveiled an initiative where 50 professional troop and sailor positions have been reserved annually for high-level athletes.
While it was Garach’s choice to serve in the Spanish military, some countries still mandate that accomplished athletes fulfill military obligations.
For example, NBA player Lauri Markkanen, in the summer of 2023 had to complete his mandatory military service in his native Finland, a requirement for all male citizens in that country by age 30.
South Korean tennis player Soonwoo Kwon had to take a break from the sport back in December to fulfill his required 18-month of military service.
At last year’s Paris Olympics, South Korean golfers Tom Kim and Byeong Hun An were extremely disappointed they didn’t medal, which would have gotten them out of mandatory military service. Those two might still have future opportunities to get out of military service by winning a medal at the Olympics or a gold medal at the Asian Games.