Tokyo Olympic champion Maggie MacNeil sees the top of her aggressive profession coming throughout the subsequent 4 years.
MacNeil informed CBC Sports activities that the 2024 Olympics in Paris will probably be her final run on the Video games with plans of attending regulation college throughout the subsequent two years.
“I haven’t selected a agency finish date, however I do know I’m not going one other quad,” MacNeil informed CBC. “I’ve by no means wished to [compete] to 2028. I wish to go to regulation college within the close to future.
“I’ve achieved greater than I ever wished in swimming and by doing that, I’d be pleased if I retired now.”
MacNeil, who turned 24 on Monday, burst onto the senior worldwide stage in 2019, upsetting Sarah Sjostrom for gold within the ladies’s 100 butterfly on the World Championships in Gwangju.
MacNeil adopted up by profitable Olympic gold within the 100 fly two years later in Tokyo, nearing Sjostrom’s world file (55.48) in a time of 55.59 that continues to be the third-fastest clocking in historical past.
After including Olympic medals with a silver within the ladies’s 400 free relay and a bronze within the 400 medley relay in Tokyo, MacNeil has gone on to pile up medals on the most important worldwide stage, together with profitable a mixed seven golds on the Brief Course World Championships between 2021 and 2022.
On the 2021 SC Worlds in Abu Dhabi, MacNeil set a world file within the ladies’s 50 again (25.27) and in addition received gold within the 100 fly, and on the 2022 championships in Melbourne, she defended each titles and set new world data in each, clocking 25.25 within the 50 again and 54.05 within the 100 fly, whereas additionally profitable the 50 fly world title.
She additionally received Commonwealth Video games gold within the 100 fly in 2022, owns eight medals from the LC World Championships, and in 2023, received a file 5 gold medals and 7 whole on the Pan Am Video games.
The London Aquatic Membership product, who additionally had an unbelievable NCAA profession on the College of Michigan and LSU, admitted to having combined emotions about retirement.
“I feel most athletes do. It’s one thing you’ve spent your life doing, it’s a part of your id,” she mentioned. “I’m fortunate my mother and father at all times had me targeted on college first and swimming second. I’ve at all times had training to fall again on.”
MacNeil had an illustrious four-year profession at Michigan earlier than transferring to LSU for her fifth season of eligibility, which concluded final 12 months. She continues to coach in Baton Rouge beneath LSU coach Rick Bishop, who additionally spoke to CBC on her future retirement.
“She’s received the world championships, damaged two world data, held an NCAA file at one time, Olympic gold, world championship gold, Pan Ams,” he mentioned. “You title it, she’s received it.”
MacNeil’s departure will go away a gap on the Canadian Nationwide Workforce sooner or later, Bishop added.
“You’re speaking about somebody who you may depend on 12 months in and 12 months out,” he mentioned. “She’s been invaluable on relays, from a butterfly and freestyle perspective.”
MacNeil is within the midst of finishing her masters of science in sports activities administration at LSU, with exams set to wrap up simply earlier than the 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials in Might (Might 13-19).
“My final examination is Might 7 or 8 so it’s reducing it somewhat shut however that’s my life the final 16 years as a student-athlete,” mentioned MacNeil.
“I’ll miss commencement attributable to Trials and I didn’t go to my undergrad commencement both, however there’s nothing I’d quite miss it for than to make the Olympic workforce, hopefully.
“I at all times discover college retains my thoughts off swimming. I feel I’d go loopy if I simply targeted on swimming. I at all times wish to have one thing to consider. I’m having fun with the journey now realizing it’s going to return to an finish quickly.”
MacNeil added that she plans on racing on the Canadian Swimming Open in mid-April, however that’ll probably be her solely meet previous to Trials.
“It’s good to get some good coaching, and I feel that can make me extra assured than racing.”
She additionally spoke extremely of her expertise at LSU, the place she aligned with Bishop who had beforehand coached her at Michigan.
“Final 12 months was an excellent change in environment and surroundings for me,” she mentioned. “I’ve not often had a foul day since I moved to LSU. I’m doing nice now.
“I can have extra enter with my coach about how I’m feeling and what exercises I do.”
She concluded her interview with CBC by noting that no girl has ever repeated as Olympic champion within the 100 fly, and that Sjostrom’s world file is on her thoughts.
“Profitable two [Olympic] gold in a row has by no means been completed within the [women’s] 100 fly so it’s positively one thing I’m interested by. And the world file is true there as properly.
“These are the 2 issues my coach and I’ve been speaking about.”
