Courtesy: Swim England
Paris 2024 Olympian Toby Robinson has announced his retirement from competitive swimming after a decorated career both in the pool and in open water.
The West Midland’s native rounded out his career with 14th place at the Games in Paris in the 10km event, finally reaching the pinnacle of the sport after narrowly missing out on a place in both Rio and Tokyo.
One of the few elite athletes to balance both open water and pool swimming, Toby bows out of the sport as the reigning 800m Freestyle British champion after his success at the Olympic trials in London last April.
He also represented Team England at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where he finished fourth in the Men’s 1500m Freestyle and tenth in the 400m event that was a just a short drive from his hometown of Wolverhampton.
Reflecting on his journey, the 1500m Freestyle national record holder posted on Instagram saying: “Today, I announce my retirement from competitive swimming after many incredible years.
“It’s so hard to sum up this journey, but what a journey it has been! Four World Championships, four European Championships, one Commonwealth Games, one Olympic Games, reigning British Champion, and 1500m long course English record holder.
“The highlight of it all? The Olympic Games.
“A dream come true, made even more special after missing out on the previous Games and facing multiple setbacks on the road to qualification. The challenges made the moment all the more special and I will always cherish the memories of representing my country on the world’s biggest stage.”
‘Your support and encouragement made it all happen’
Robinson first took up triathlon as well as swimming, football, cycling and even fencing in his youth.
But it was swimming that he was always drawn towards as he joined both Wolverhampton Swimming Club and Royal Wolverhampton before he moved onto Loughborough University.
From then on Robinson became a stalwart of the British squad and was a member of the Swim England Performance Squad in the run-up to the Games in Paris.
Despite announcing his retirement, he’s committed to remaining involved in the swimming community and is looking forward to the next chapter.
He added: “A huge thank you to the people who have helped me realise my dream: my family, every coach, team member, and training partner. Your support and encouragement made it all happen.
“To everyone else who has supported me from the poolside, seaside or from afar, thank you for being part of my journey.
“Competitive swimming has taught me so much more than how to race. It has shown me the power of sport to build resilience, encourage teamwork, and build the courage to chase big dreams
“While I am stepping away from competitive racing, this is far from goodbye. I am excited to remain closely involved with the swimming community through some exciting upcoming projects—so watch this space!
“An unforgettable chapter in my life. Here’s to the next one!”
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Great achievements champ, glad to hear of some exciting projects on the horizon that will keep you involved and motivated for the sport, can’t wait to see them evolve. For now though, enjoy your sleep-ins and everything else that life has to offer outside of the pool
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