USA Swimming National Team member Jake Magahey is “taking a break from competitive swimming for the foreseeable future.”
In the post, Magahey thanked all of his coaches and former teams, going back as far as summer league swimming.
While the Georgia Bulldog stopped short of using the word “retirement,” the post resembled the reflections often made by an athlete upon retirement.
“As for Swimming, the thing I will miss most is the friends and connections I have made through competing at each level,” Magahey wrote. “I believe each person I have swam with has had a positive impact on my career and put me in the position I am in today. I will always be a fan and hope to be involved at some level for the rest of my life. It is no secret I did not accomplish everything that I wanted, and maybe in the future I will continue to pursue my goals, but no measured success could replace the lessons and relationships given to me by the sport. If this is it, then I am at peace with what the sport has given me.”
Magahey qualified for the U.S. National Team via his 6th place finish in the 400 free at last summer’s U.S. Olympic Trials.
In March, he concluded his NCAA career at the national championships by finishing 4th in the 500 free, 7th in the 200 fly, and 4th in the 200 IM. In five seasons with Georgia he earned 19 All-America honors. He was the 2021 NCAA Champion in the 500 yard free as a freshman and the 2024 SEC Champion in the 500 free as a senior.
At one point, he was the #2 performer in the history of the event.
Internationally, Magahey had a few minor caps for the United States. He won a bronze medal in the 800 free and silver in the 200 free at the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Championships. A year later, he swam at the World Junior Swimming Championships, winning gold medals in the boys’ 400 and 800 free relays and the mixed 400 free relay.
He also swam the 400 free and as part of the prelims of the 800 free relay at the 2022 World Short Course Swimming Championships, earning a gold medal in the relay.
Magahey graduated from Georgia in May 2024 with a degree in finance before returning as a 5th year to pursue a bachelor’s in Risk Management & Insurance and a certificate in Music Business.
Didn’t he place in the top 3 in the 500 at NCAAs for 5 consecutive years? That’s quite an accomplishment, especially considering the competition in that event during his collegiate career (Marchand, Hobson, Maur, Sates, Smith?
I can understand someone like Fink or Murphy who have been at this for over a decade and now have families, but most of the recent announcers of taking breaks or retiring were from relatively young swimmers. It would strange if not even a home Olympics around the corner can convince them to hang around
Three years is a long way off.
My yardstick for recent grads would be: if you train for three more years and miss the Olympic team, will it still be worth it? If yes, go for it because you love the grind. If no, hang it up. Even if you are top 2 in an event right now, it’s very unlikely you will be in three years, and it comes down to some things you can’t control.
From a financial stand-point, athletes also have to weigh whether it’s worth it to keep focusing on swimming once out of school or commit to establishing themselves in the workforce. Fink and Swanson have certainly shown it is possible to do both, but the immediacy of the Olympics and the post-Covid return to normalcy definitely shifted dynamics. The fifth year of NCAA swimming undeniably helped quite a few swimmers figure out next steps while allowing them to train, but the current class of fifth years now has no NCAA eligibility left and faces the decision of going all in on three years of pro-swimming to potentially make the Olympics or tap out and join the majority of their friends in… Read more »
From Georgia Swimming, thank you for all you’ve done for the LSC
That was beautifully written. Ultimate respect
Including the underrated shout out to Georgia HS coaching legend Rick Creed.
I AM taking a Break from My swimsuit Modeling Career and status of Being. A billionaire.
Randy
Hmmmm
Did Dr Jack Brown really accept the Wisconsin job? What will happen with the staff?
Who’s next?
Ryan Murphy
Nic Fink next?
He already posted. Gonna miss that man – hope he comes back. Our medley relays will never be the same.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C8G76UWd7/
Blake
Charlie
Chase
Drew
Hunter
Matthew
Nic
Ryan & Ryan
If a male athlete is not going to bother to show up at any of the TYR Pro Swim Series stops, forget about it.
Peaty or Murph
The GB team roster was announced long ago and it’s certain Peaty won’t compete this year. But he said he’s going to the Commonwealth Games.
Congrats on a career!