Jessica Hardy posted on social media this morning that, “yesterday was (probably) the last race of my career, but today is the first day of the rest of my life.”
After an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the 2016 Olympic team, it appears as though Hardy is hanging up her goggles, although she never used the word ‘retired.’
Hardy said via the social media post, “#SwimTrials16 didn’t work out how I had envisioned them, but I’m so glad I put myself on the line & followed by dreams.”
Hardy competed in the heats of the 50m freestyle yesterday morning where she failed to advance to the semifinal after finishing 24th overall with a time of 25.88. The 50 free was her last chance to qualify for the team.
While Hardy will not be going to the Olympics, she stated in the post that she’ll be cheering from home, “I’ll be cheering on the next generations of #TeamUSA with a full heart, & look forward to applying my passion towards whatever comes next.”
Over her illustrious career, Hardy won two Olympic medals including one gold, 10 World Championship medals including three gold, nine Short Course World Championship medals including three gold, and seven Pan Pacific championship medals including six gold.
One of Hardy’s greatest accomplishments in the sport was breaking both the 50 and 100m breaststroke world records. Hardy first broke the 100m breaststroke world record in 2005 before it was broken by Leisel Jones. In 2009, she re-broke it and it stood until 2013.
To see Hardy’s full post, click here.
I’ll never forget what happened with her preventing Tara Kirk from going to the Olympics.
Michael Klueh
One less convicted doper on deck. It;s about time. Lifetime bans!
Sick, it’s the same guy that hates grillzz and long haircuts.
You sure like to distort my arguments, and put words in my mouth. Nothing sick about supporting clean sport. At any rate, your lack of intellectual honesty warrants no further replies.
Smooches!
Down votes are fine. Just remember then what you are really voting for. Personally, I don’t like dopers–they undermine the sport. Athletes should be 100% responsible for what they put in their bodies. And in the case of Hardy, I still feel for what her misdeeds did to Tara Kirk.
Her case was not that black and white and Kirk woulda been on the team if USA swimming had properly accounted for the possibility of a doping positive like they do now. Myself Im glad to see her retire I think she hung around a bit too long and the doping thing is/was a black mark to teamusa.
Yes, it was particularly sad to see USA Swimming’s lack of support Ms. Kirk. She was robbed by doping and failed by her federation. I certainly hope times have changed.
For those interested in the facts, a unanimous arbitration panel found that Hardy unknowingly and unintentionally consumed a tainted supplement, for which she took full responsibility, missed swimming 5 events in the 2008 Games, and served a one-year suspension. She paid a heavy price for doing what many other swimmers do or did (use presumably safe supplements despite the risk of contamination). It’s unfortunate that, for some, her career will always be defined by a positive drug test, despite the proven circumstances, but she’s demonstrated strength, courage, perseverance, and dignity while embracing success as well as overcoming failure.
“clen” is illegal to manufacture inside the united states. Supplements are not just “tainted” with clen. Furthermore, the side effects of “clen” are very very strong…jitters, feeling absolutely wired, shaky hands, sweating, increased body temp. Point – if you unknowingly took it…In my opinion, any reasonable person would IMMEDIATELY KNOW something was very wrong or very different with their supplement.
Other sides include headache, nausea, bad insomnia and bad muscle cramps…especially in athletes.
One of the benefits of clen is it will keep your metabolism UP for as much as 5 weeks after you cease using it. It’s a great fat burner.
Fair enough, Hardy Fan. I’m glad she took responsibility. (Well, who else should?). If you’re taking supplements, you may be playing with fire–as indeed her case shows. Claiming tainted supplements is not a defense. But lifetime bans are the only way to make sure athletes do their due diligence. Perhaps I could be persuaded that a 4-year ban for a first offense is a compromise. My point remains: convicted dopers have no place on the deck as they denigrate the sport.
and don’t forget: Lara Jackson, too.
why we always have nice talk regarding “proven dopers”.
i won’t talk nice about Efimova, Sun Yang, Park Tae Hwan, Mellouli, Hardy, Ning Zetao, Martynova, etc. Even if their doping is a hundred years ago. Dopers stole medals (and happiness) from their rightful owners.
Just when you want talk nice about these dopers, remember Hackett (who lost his gold for Mellouli), PVK (who lost medal from Sun and Park), Jackson and Kirk (who won’t be an Olympian because of Hardy), etc.
REMEMBER….
Glad to see her go, there really needs to be a zero tolerance policy for doping already. The fact that those 2 Chinese swimmers were literally caught doping with the banned substance Clenbuterol and were just given a ‘warning’ shows how juvenile doping control still is in this sport, it’s pathetic.
Thanks for representing the USA to the best of your ability, Jessica! May love and laughter fill your future with happiness! 🙂
Dear swimswam, could you please recap who retires this year among the US swimmers.
Looks like there’s a new big name each day.
u can do that job – not that difficult ….
I have MP, Coughlin, Grevers (not clear), Hardy, Pelton, Bootsma, Clary and DiRado in mind. Someone else? Maybe Sogar? Maybe Leverenz?
I imagine Ervin will announce it after Rio?
And what about Lochte? Nobody talks about him. Seriously I don’t see him in Tokyo in 4 years.
Vrooman
Coughlin very clearly said she is not retiring.
Thanks for the clarification.
No way Lochte doesn’t find his way onto a 4×200 in 2020. I see him swimming 1:46 mids until he’s 40
Greevers was clear, Coughlin said she’s not done yet.
😆
Cullen Jones?
Megan Romano?
not announced yet – but can be
U got them all i think – thats why i stated it was pretty easy to find out …..
Some may not announce anything yet – because they may get onto the next WC Us team in one year ….
Sogar posted on social media that she is done.
Shannon Vreeland
Yes, it is time for several of these older pros to move on with their lives. They’ve had their time & now like she says, there is a new generation stepping up!!! Embrace your new life!!