One of Australia’s most successful swimmers is hanging up her goggles with the new year’s dawn.
32-year-old Olympic medalistΒ Emily Seebohm revealed her retirement decision this week, posting an emotional tribute on Instagram.
“Swimming has been the biggest thing in my life since making my first Australian Open team at 14 in 2007 fast forward 17 years later and I was able to become a 4 x Olympian with 7 Olympic medals, 5 X World Champion and break 4 World records,” she wrote on social media.”
Seebohm made her Olympic debut at the 2008 Games in Beijing at the age of 16. There she took home gold as a member of the women’s medley relay to kick off her career, followed by a trio of medals in London 4 years later, including silver in the individual 100m backstroke.
In Tokyo, Seebohm earned bronze in the 200m back and gold once again on the medley relay.
She has amassed nearly two dozen medals across both Short Course and Long Course World Championships and still owns two Australian relay records.
Seebohm gave birth to her first child, son Sampson, in September of 2023 and still managed to race at last year’s Olympic Trials. She missed making the team, however, but finaled in both the 100m and 200m back events.
Her last non-Olympic international medals came at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where the Michael Bohl-trained star earned gold in the 50m back, silver in 100m back and bronze in the 200m back.
In 2015 Seebohm suffered knee damage in a horseriding incident and also revealed her endometriosis diagnosis and subsequent treatment in 2017. Most recently, the icon spoke about her battle with eating disorders.
Reflecting on her career, Seebohm gave gratitude to those who helped her along the way, saying,Β “To my amazing family who gave me every opportunity under the sun to chase my dreams (and some days or most give me the push I needed) To working with the best coaches in the world Matt Brown (from a 10 year old to 2015 and again 2023-2024) and Michael Bohl (2019-2021)
“To the many Dolphins swim team members and staff I worked with over the years that helped me train harder and race smarter. To the ones that had my back and cheered me on. To the fans that supported me and appreciated me. Thank you is just not enough. It meant the world to me to be able to do what I did and I had a blast!
“Youβll always find me near the water just maybe not behind the blocks!
“Dolphin 654 hanging up the green and gold.”
Em – thanks for your service over many years.
2015 Seebohm was quite something – before McKeown and Smith would drop 57s monthly, there was Seebohm dropping 58s in her sleep
An absolute beast of a swimmer! Hope she gets an awesome retirement ππ»ππ»ππ»
Her last international medals did not come in 2018. She won bronze in the 200 Back in Tokyo
That was an epic moment for me, Em is such a fierce competitor but more importantly a wonderfully giving person. No kids were left without a highlight memory wherever she went, always had time for them.
Bravo Em, enjoy finding your next calling ππππ.
I thought that bronze in the 200 back in Tokyo was sensational too. In the lead up to the Australian Trials, I noticed some commentators declaring that she was “washed” and would not qualify for the Tokyo Games — and then she walked away with an individual bronze and relay gold. Absolutely brilliant! π
Collecting receipts π:
Original commentor:
https://swimswam.com/olympic-champion-emily-seebohm-opens-up-about-dealing-with-eating-disorder/#comment-857474
My reply:
https://swimswam.com/olympic-champion-emily-seebohm-opens-up-about-dealing-with-eating-disorder/#comment-857507
Such a brave swim too – had to hold her nerve and trust herself to swim down some amazing talent in that last 50m
She was tactically brilliant over 200mBK…..her 2 World titles similarly were executed to perfection.
She also won a gold medal as part of womenβs 4x100m medley relay (heat swimmer only) in Tokyo.
Read the article. Last Non-Olympic International medal
Last non-Olympic medal!!
It was updated after SNS’s comment. We appreciate the catch!