Jason Dunford, Kenya’s most decorated swimmer, is contemplating coming out of retirement and returning to the pool ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Kenyan news site Tuko sat down with Dunford for an interview, where the 37-year-old Stanford alum discussed possibly making a comeback in addition to reflecting on life after retirement, fatherhood and his personal achievements.
“Look, this is a decision that I won’t make lightly,” Dunford said. “There is still much to consider. I am now toying with the idea to see if I can get my body back to those levels because it requires a lot of work you know.”
Dunford retired from competition back in 2014 due to back injuries, but he said in the interview that his injuries have not caused much issue lately.
“My back has sort of cooled down a little bit because I haven’t competed in a long time,” Dunford said. “At that time, it was the correct decision to make, but right now, with how I have set up my life, it almost feels like there is a possibility that I could make it happen.”
Watching the Paris Olympics seemed to have sparked some feelings in Dunford that he may still have something left to offer the sport.
A two-time Olympian, Dunford competed at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Games, with his best performance coming in 2008 when he placed 5th in the men’s 100 butterfly in Beijing.
Despite falling shy of reaching the podium at the Olympics, Dunford notably won gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2010, claiming victory in the 50 butterfly.
Over the course of his career, he also racked up seven gold medals at the African Swimming Championships and five gold medals at the African Games, among many other achievements.
Kenya had two swimmers representing the nation in swimming at the 2024 Paris Olympics: Maria Brunlehner and Ridhwan Mohamed. Bruhlehner placed 27th in the 50 free, and Mohamed placed 36th in the 400 free.
Next up Phelps
Phelps more likely to cut off his silly man bun.