Katinka Hosszu Waves Goodbye to the Pool: A Champion’s Farewell

Hungarian Katinka Hosszú, recognized as the top all-around female swimmer during the majority of the 2010s, declared her retirement at the age of 35.

“For three decades, water has been my refuge, a haven where I discovered comfort and resilience,” was written on her social media. “From the first time I dived into the pool as a child, I was aware I had found something extraordinary. The refreshing touch of the water felt like returning home, a realm where gravity no longer mattered, and each stroke brought me closer to achieving my aspirations. As my swimming journey advanced, I transformed from a curious child into one of the most distinguished female swimmers in history.”

Hosszú participated in the Olympics in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2021.

During the 2016 Games, she emerged victorious in the 200m individual medley, 400m IM, and 100m backstroke. She competed in the 200m backstroke aiming to become the second woman to secure four individual swimming gold medals in a single Olympics. She came close, finishing just six hundredths of a second behind American Maya DiRado.

She dominated the 200m and 400m IMs at the world championships in 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019. Hosszú earned the moniker “Iron Lady” due to her prowess in competing — and triumphing — across various events.

She amassed over 90 total medals across the Olympics, world championships (both long course and short course), and European championships (long course and short course).

She holds the world record in the 200m IM and ranks as the second-fastest in history for the 400m IM. Canadian Summer McIntosh surpassed Hosszú’s world record in 2023.

In August 2023, Hosszú shared the news of her daughter Kamília’s birth. She made a comeback in competitions in 2024 and did not participate in the Paris Games.

Sarah Sjostrom, the Olympic gold medalist in the 50m and 100m freestyle, has no plans to compete until 2026.