Australian swimming champion Brianna Throssell has revealed her gold medal relay swim was her “last ever race” at the Olympics.
Just hours after winning the 4x200m freestyle in Paris with swimming stars Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O’Callaghan and Lani Pallister, Throssell conceded she was retiring from Olympic competition.
During an interview that followed her swim, Throssell became emotional when making the bombshell revelation.
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She was asked how she felt about the relay gold medal, and her voice trembled as she replied, “pretty special”.
She then revealed why.
“It is going to be my last race ever at the Olympics,” Throssell said on Channel 9.
“So to finish with an Olympic gold is everything I could have dreamed of.
“That’s it, I’m 28, I’m not saying it is the end of my swimming career, but I won’t be going to LA.
“It was such an honour, but I know that I don’t want to be 32 and still swimming,
“I’m ready for the next chapter of my life.”
Just hours earlier Throssell, a West Australian, helped set up gold for Australia with an epic swim.
Her third leg was the defining one in Australia’s victory.
In a pre-race surprise, American champion Katie Ledecky — who with a second place moved to the top of her country’s all-time medal count — was listed to swim third.
It meant Throssell was forced to hold off both Ledecky and Canadian teenage sensation Summer McIntosh.
The first-time gold medallist hit the water in first and, while Ledecky chipped away and threatened to snatch the lead late in their leg, Throssell hit the wall first, setting up a Titmus rapid finish and the gold.
“Holy moly, when I saw the sheets come out before and who I was swimming against and it was Summer and Katie I was like ‘classic’,” she said.
“But I knew I just had to do my best for the team and not worry about who I was against and I know I did my best and that’s all that I can ask for.”
Throssell won two bronze medals as a heat swimmer in Tokyo three years ago but said this one felt like the real deal.
“I think in Tokyo I was fortunate to come home with a few medals but I was just a heat swimmer, so to actually stand on the podium alongside these three incredible girls and knowing that Shayna and Jamie did the most incredible job this morning, it was just such an honour to stand up, sing the anthem and be wearing the gold medal,” she said.
Titmus, a close friend of Throssell, also paid tribute to the West Aussie.
“Bri and I have been roomies for over three months now and she has never stood on the Olympic podium before and it was very, very special to have her next to me singing the national anthem and it’s pretty fun to do it with your friends,” she said.
“We are literally living the dream. It’s a very special night.”
– With The West Australian