Olympic champion Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania has announced her retirement from competitive swimming at just 22 years of age.
The reigning SCM 100m breast World Record holder had taken a break after the 2018 Short Course World Championships and hasn’t been training. She wound up missing doping tests in the past 12 months.
A year ago, Meilutyte said that she was battling severe depression that was driven in part by the pressure to continue her success after the 2012 Olympics.
Meilutyte’s retirement statement reads, “Thanks to swimming, I experienced a life I had never thought about. I had the opportunity to see a large part of the world, get to know and work with wonderful people. This is a special experience and now I want to use that experience and the acquired skills in a new way, this time outside the pool. I am ready to start a new phase of life. Thank you to all those who supported me.
“So far, I’ve given myself to swimming. I used to live in this sport since my early teens. Because of the tense workout regime, I postponed the science I want to return to now. I want to experience simple things, grow, better understand myself and the world around me.”
Meilutyte inspired the world when, at just 15 years of age, the Lithuanian won Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. She became the first Lithuanian swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal and the victory spurred on a career that would include 20 international gold medals, 10 silver and 1 bronze.
“I want to thank Rūta for her huge contribution on behalf of our entire community.
“Her achievements inspired not only us, but also Lithuania as a whole. The victories won have become legendary, and its determination and commitment to the country only once again confirms that even in the small world, we can pick up great victories, ”says E.Vitkaitis, president of the Lithuanian Federation.
“Ruta was, is and always will be the one whose name will be written in gold letters in the history of Lithuanian swimming sport. Whatever her decision, we must accept and respect it. So, on behalf of the whole federation, we want to wish you the best of luck in any of her new life.
In terms of her pending missing whereabouts case, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code (rule 7.7) specifies that, ‘If an Athlete or other Person retires while a Results Management process is underway, the Anti-Doping Organization conducting the Results Management process retains jurisdiction to complete its Results Management process.’
Further, ‘If an Athlete or other Person retires before any Results Management process has begun, the Anti-Doping Organization which would have had Results Management authority over
the Athlete or other Person at the time the Athlete or other Person committed an anti-doping rule violation, has authority to conduct Results Management.’
As such, Meilutyte’s retirement would not exclude her from any punishment what could be inflicted due to her violation of whereabouts reporting.
Although a different situation, we did see Italian Filippo Magnini recently get handed a 4-year ban even though the former World Champion had been retired for some time.
I was lucky enough to race at the same meet as Ruta in 2011. She went 1.09, which I think was the fastest time in Britain at that point in the year. Sitting there watching this 13/14 year old girl swim a 100br with more explosiveness and power than me, a 17yo boy, was humbling and exhilarating. I had my own troubles with mental health the following year, and I came very close to quitting the sport – Then I saw Ruta at the Olympics. This girl who 1 year ago was swimming the arena league, in the same pool as me, won Olympic gold. It probably kept me in the sport a few more years, and more importantly kept… Read more »
It seems like the latter. Doping doesn’t do much good if you aren’t training.
Does it matter!!!! Good luck Ruta. I understand what you mean by pressure, even in retirement people question you.
Anthony Ervin also retires at age 22 caused similar problems. He come back and rising up is history.
yep
She “got depressed due to being successful” and then magically started missing drug tests? Sounds like a whole bunch of bollocks if you ask me.
No she didn’t get depressed being successful, she was depressed trying to get back to her best form after an amazing few years dominating women’s breaststroke circa 2012-14…. And she has recently missed drugs tests after not competing for a while because she knew she didn’t intend to carry on swimming, there is no issue here!
That’s absolutely horrible to say. You don’t know what these athletes go through not only do they have their own pressure but the pressure of an entire country. I don’t know honestly if I could do it if I got to that point. To even withstand it for this long is truly amazing. I wish her the best of luck and so should you
Because there aren’t tons of cases where olympic champions become depressed after experiencing arguably the best moment of their lives and having to adjust to life afterwords. Thankfully most people are more supportive and understanding than you
“Got depressed due to being successful” – like Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt, Laure Manaudou, Amanda Beard, Missy Franklin, Katie Hoff, Ian Thorpe, Yannick Angel, Ariana Kukors, Danny Knutson, etc, etc, etc… then continued to pass drug tests for half a decade… then retired.
Sad to see her go. It is nice that when an elite swimmer retires at 22 we’re all shocked that someone so young would quit the sport. Not so long ago 22 would be a perfectly normal age to hang it up.
99.9% of swimmers hang it up by age 22. You graduate college at 22 you retire for most swimmers. It’s nice to see the option to continue for a very small minority but it certainly is the norm to retire at 22. Seems pretty obvious she was ready to leave sooner and her missed drug tests were more a case of ambivalence towards swimming than a fear of failing the tests. Why tarnish her performances by subjecting her to continued scrutiny? Just let her retire in peace. If she decides to come back in a year or two maybe then increased scrutiny would be called for.
I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Ruta from her early teens when she came to Plymouth Leander. She would never take so much as a paracetamol. She is vehemently against drug cheats. As others have said a ‘pure athlete’. She gave everything to swimming, including most of her childhood, and I am so proud of her for making this brave decision and very excited for her future x
“Gave everything to swimming, including most of her childhood” – what NOT to do for swimmers or any athletes.
indeed
I felt it coming intuitively – well , good choice if that one fills her life needs to move on …… and end when it feels right to . Thank you Ruta for the great races u gave us few years back . Good luck for the new passions to embrace . 🙏🏼