Libby Trickett Announces Retirement After Gold-Medal Comeback

In a press-release sent out by Swimming Australia, Libby Trickett (formerly Libby Lenton) has announced her retirement again.

Trickett was one of a number of very high-profile returns from retirement for the Australians last year, though she was the most successful as she qualified for the team and won a gold medal in the 400 free relay at 28-years old.

That was a crown on a hugely-successful career for Trickett that spanned three Olympics, four gold medals, one silver, and two bronze in the sprint freestyle and butterfly races. She also took 8 long course World Championships in long course and another 7 in short course.

Trickett’s plan wasn’t another retirement so shortly, but she was forced into it by a wrist injury that kept her from the water since the London Games.

The 2008 Olympics were Trickett’s biggest showing, where she was the individual champion in the 100 fly.

“There will always be a tinge of sadness to leave the sport that I love, but I have wonderful memories and experiences to draw upon in the future,” Trickett said. “I feel at peace with my decision and most importantly I feel that I am finally ready to take on the next adventure in my life.”

In retirement, Trickett takes the next step onto the stage of a new program by Channel 10: Australia’s Greatest Athlete. She is married to former national-level swimmer Luke Trickett, and was the winner of the 2008 Telstra People’s Choice Award in Swimming Australia.

 

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swimcoach24
11 years ago

One of the greatest of all time! She had some pretty wild free/fly races with Coughlin when they were both in their prime. Something I always admired about her was how she threw down on the Aussie Relays regardless of how the rest of the meet was going for her.

Bourdais
Reply to  swimcoach24
11 years ago

She was absolutely incredible in relays, it’s a shame she didn’t get more individual golds. She always seemed to do amazing in prelims or less important events, but either slightly underperform or simply get upstaged in important individual races. She was the WR holder in the 50 and 100m freestyle going into both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, but instead of getting four golds, in those events she ended up with a total of one silver and one bronze. What most clearly demonstrates her relay prowess was the 2005 World Champs. At trials she didn’t swim the 200m and came third in the 100m, which meant she didn’t swim either event individually, but was selected as the lead for both… Read more »

aswimfan
Reply to  Bourdais
11 years ago

yes, I was bummed that she didn’t win 100 free gold in Beijing.
She should have won it, if not for a huge blunder she made when she swam slow in the semis, finishing in 9th, and would have been out of final if not for Pang Jiaying’s DQ.

SwimFanFinland
Reply to  Bourdais
11 years ago

Huh! I’m so glad Libby got her individual gold at the 2008 Beijing.

Do you disagree with me completely if I say the gold and silver medalist in Women’s 100m free at the 2008 Beijing were the most look-alike medalists what we’ve ever had, i.e. Trickett and Steffen?

http://www1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Lisbeth+Trickett+Britta+Steffen+Olympics+Day+Q46uof3N5DFx.jpg

James
11 years ago

I think its pretty unbelievable what these elite level swimmers go through to stay at the top. You train all out in relative obscurity to go to the Olympics every four years…

Imagine if a football player only had a shot at The Superbowl every four years, etc. Most pro players don’t have a career much longer than that.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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