British Olympian Sophie Allen has announced her retirement from competitive swimming via her Twitter account on Tuesday evening.
“After a huge change in circumstance, I’ve made the decision to leave competitive swimming. Having had my second lot of hip surgery, my road to recovery has led me down a different path. I’ve competed at a home Olympics, in a World Champs final, and a Commonwealth Games; and am now excited to carry all these memories into my next chapter. To everyone who helped me achieve my childhood dreams and goals – you truly were invaluable, I couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you!”
Allen is retiring at just 22 years old with a resume that, as alluded to, has included berths at the Olympics, World Championships, and Commonwealth Games. Her lone major international medal came at the 2012 European Long Course Championships where she took silver in the 200 IM.
Her last meet, then, will go down as the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland where she made just one final, the 200 IM, and placed 6th – well shy of her best time. Allen placed 7th in the same event at the 2013 World Championships – coming off of a 4th-place time in prelims – to finish out what was easily the best season of Allen’s career, and one that appeared to have her on track for stardom in the U.K. That’s a season that followed a training change early in the year as she joined Bath ITC.
Allen retires as the British National Record holder in the 100 breast in short course meters, and as part of the National Record holding 200 and 400 medley relays in short course meters.
Another Tweet, sent out on Monday by the Elite Sport Academy and retweeted by Allen, welcomed her to a new coaching role with the Elite Sport Academy in the UK.
1/4 After a huge change in circumstance; ive made the decision to leave competitive swimming. Having had my second lot of hip surgery…
— Sophie Allen OLY (@SophieAllen12) February 10, 2015
2/4 my road to recovery has led me down a different path. I've competed at a home olympics, in a world champs final, and a commonwealth…
— Sophie Allen OLY (@SophieAllen12) February 10, 2015
3/4 games; and am now excited to carry all these memories into my next chapter. To everyone who helped me achieve my childhood dreams…
— Sophie Allen OLY (@SophieAllen12) February 10, 2015
4/4 and goals – you truly were invaluable, I couldn't have done it without you! Thank you! 🌟🙌🏊
— Sophie Allen OLY (@SophieAllen12) February 10, 2015
