Two-time Olympic gold medalist Zach Apple has announced his retirement from competitive swimming. In an Instagram post on February 10, 2023, Apple wrote that while “swimming has been a huge part of [his] life for a while now…the time has come to step away competitively.”
Apple has been a consistent member of Team USA’s freestyle relays and has competed at several major international meets over the past few years. In 2021 Apple was a member of Team USA’s gold medal-winning 4×100 freestyle and 4×100 medley relays, swimming in the finals heat of both relays.
Of the four members of the finals relay that won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, three are retired (Apple, Blake Pieroni, and Bowe Becker), while the fourth has not competed in almost eight months (Caeleb Dressel).
On the medley relay in Tokyo, Apple posted 46.95 freestyle split to make him the fastest in the heat. He followed Ryan Murphy (52.31), Michael Andrew (58.49), and Caeleb Dressel (49.03), who put together a 3:26.78 world record to win the event. In the 4×100 freestyle relay, Apple swam a 46.69 anchor leg while Dressel (47.26), Blake Pieroni (47.58), and Bowe Becker (47.44) joined him to bring the team to a 3:08.97 for the win. Notably, Apple is the third member of that relay to retire since Tokyo as Becker announced his retirement in May 2022 and Pieroni did the same a few months later.
Prior to the Olympic Games, Apple competed at both the 2017 and 2019 World Championships, the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships, and the 2019 World University Games. He picked up relay medals at all of those meets, along with individual titles in the 100 and 200 freestyles at the World University Games.
At the 2022 International Team Trials, Apple missed qualification for his third World Champs team when he finished 8th in the 100 freestyle final with a 48.52. His last international meet was in December 2021 when he raced at the Short Course World Championships. There, he took gold in the 4×50 medley relay, silver in the 4×100 medley, and bronze in the 4×100 freestyle.
Apple swam for four years in the NCAA, racing for Auburn from 2015 to 2018 before transferring to Indiana University for the 2018-2019 season. He picked up a bronze medal at NCAAs in the 200 freestyle during his junior season, swimming a 1:31.18. The next year, as a Hoosier, he took home two individual medals by placing second in the 200 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle.
Following his collegiate swimming career, Zach Apple joined the DC Trident in the International Swimming League. he raced for the Trident in the 2019, 2020, and 2021 seasons.
“I can’t say thank you to everyone who contributed here but I will shout out a few. My parents first and foremost are the reason I’m here. Their unconditional love and support throughout my whole career has been unrivaled and given me the confidence and comfort to chase my dreams. My coaches and teammates, of which there have been many of both, are what get you through the daily grind. Knowing that the people around you day to day want to make you better is inspiring and a crucial piece to the puzzle. Finally to my girlfriend. She’s been a rock through the ups and downs that I can lean on. I’m sure I’ve left out many thanks and I apologize” wrote Apple in his retirement post.
Many former teammates and fellow Olympians including Blake Pieroni, Jake Mitchell, Lydia Jacoby, Abbey Weitzeil, and Carson Foster shared messages of well wishes on the post.
Best of luck in future endeavors.
I’m sad that these talented and young guys are retiring so soon in a world where professional athletes are competing longer and longer. In Pieroni case I understand that injury’s might have played a huge part. The other cases seem like lack of motivation or even sponsor support. People should look into that because these are outstanding talented swimmers retiring so soon. Mental health support for sports (and life in general) is a must!
Having said all that, thank you Zack for all the memories.
Thank you, Zach.
I’ll always remember him at the 2019 WCs where, two weeks after competing in 6 events at the WUGs (taking gold in 5 of them), he still managed to swim 4 events, including setting a WR in the mixed free relay and a 46 split in the 400 free relay.
So good luck with whatever the future holds for you ZApple!
Save this comment: Zach Apple will be a World Record holder for a long, long time to come.
I wouldn’t be so sure about that. GB in Tokyo was only .73 behind.
Greenbank was 0.3 slower than his PB. Guy was 0.3 slower than his split from earlier that week. Duncan Scott was 0.9 off his best split (even taking that as an outlier, Dean has since been 0.4 faster than Scott’s split). Peaty did have his best split ever so I wouldn’t expect that to improve.
I’m not saying it’ll definitely happen but there’s a solid chance GB breaks the record but they basically need to do it before Peaty retires to have any chance. Definitely a possibility at or before Paris.
Even the Italians are on the rise. That WR won’t last for long.
True! Italy actually swam the exact time in Budapest that GB swam in Tokyo. However, Italy seemed to all swim close to their potential whereas GB had 3 legs that clearly weren’t their best possible times.
And just like that, tens of thousands of people worldwide whose two greatest joys in life are fast swimming and delicious apples had only Summer McIntosh left to be their champion.
I hate you for this, but admittedly I did smirk
The gall of this Regan Smith erasure.
Haha! Because of Granny Smith, or Pink Lady?
But she’s not a granny…
Fun fact, McIntosh apples are originally from southeastern Ottawa just like Summer!
Who would have thought that zapple would retire before Cody Miller?
Congrats and enjoy whatever’s next! Masterful selection/progression of photos for the IG post btw