26-year-old Judit Ignacio of Spain has decided to hang up her goggles and retire from competitive swimming less than a year out from next year’s Summer Olympic Games.
This week Ignacio announced she decided to say goodbye to her professional career, one which included two Olympic appearances across the London Games in 2012 and Rio in 2016.
It was at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games that Ignacio introduced herself to the world, claiming two silvers at that year’s Youth Olympic Games. One year later at the 2011 World Junior Championships, Ignacio further made her mark on the international swimming world by topping the podium in the women’s 200m fly.
More recently she became the European Championships bronze medalist in the 200m fly in 2016, immediately before she placed 30th and 20th in the 100m and 200m fly events, respectively at that year’s Summer Olympic Games.
In her Instagram post, which is locked, Ignacio states, “In 1997 my grandfather promised me that if I put my head in the water, he would build me a little wooden house. After 23 years I have decided to take it out.”
From there, Judit reviews her career and thanks some of her coaches. “Thanks to Eloi for teaching me to swim; to Fred for showing me the value of things and to Bart for making me enjoy them.”
Ignacio is not the only swimmer to have announced retirement before a final charge to the postponed Olympic Games set for Tokyo next summer. Belgian Olympic medalist Pieter Timmers revealed earlier this year that he will be retiring in December, while British backstroke Jess Fullalove has also called ‘time’ on her career.