Sophie Taylor adds to the list of elite swimmers that will not be competing at the upcoming Kazan World Championships. The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medalist in the 100m breaststroke announced that she’s taking a break from the sport, and that she won’t swim at the 2015 World Championships.
Taylor, only nineteen years of age, swam to a new best time of 1:06.35 in the 100m breast finals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She won gold by almost a full second over the 2nd place finisher, Australian Lorna Tonks. According to British Swimming’s event rankings database, Taylor is the fastest 100 breaststroker for Great Britain over the last twelve months. Only one other British swimmer, Kathryn Johnstone, has been under 1:08 in the last year other than Taylor, with a 1:07.79 from the 2015 British Championships. Taylor’s Commonwealth silver medal performance in the 50 breast (30.56) also ranks her as the fastest British female in the event in the last year. To add to that, her swims at the Commonwealth Games made her the British national record holder in both the 50 and 100 breaststrokes.
British Swimming Head Coach Bill Furniss had a few words following Taylor’s announcement, according to British Swimming’s post on their website:
“I have spoken at length with Sophie and this is not a decision she has taken lightly. At this point Sophie is not enjoying her swimming and feels she needs time away from the sport. I have told Sophie the door remains open once she has had a break and is ready to reconsider her future. I would like to thank Sophie for her contribution so far to British Swimming.”
Taylor, who also won the silver medal in the 100 breast at the 2013 World Junior Championships, rounded out 2014 ranked 4th in the world. While only having put forth the 17th best time in the world this year so far, Taylor was expected to be Great Britain’s top sprint breaststroker for the World Championships. In our World Champs 100 breast preview, she was projected to place 7th overall.
While Taylor’s career isn’t officially over, she has certainly made her mark on British Swimming. She holds national records in both the 50 and 100 meter breaststrokes, and has won multiple medals individually as well as on relays for her nation.
Maybe she’s just tired of the sport and all the training involved. It happens. Sometimes a break from the can do wonders for an athlete. They return refreshed and hungry for more or we never see them again.
It’s her life, not ours.
Well said Billy. Sometimes people forget that it’s her life and not ours, not to mention how tough it is to maintain progress at the elite level, which has gone exponential over the past few decades. Good luck Sophie.
Kazan curse strikes again?
Well that’s a massive blow.