Western Australia’s “Greatest Olympic Swimmer” Brianna Throssell Retires for a New Career

Three-time Australian Olympian Brianna Throssell has announced her retirement from competitive swimming, ending a career that included 39 international medals, including a pair of relay gold medals at the Olympic Games.

Throssell will begin a career on Tuesday with the Mergers and Acquisitions team at the massive multinational firm Deloitte. She has a Bachelor of Business Management from Swinburne University of Technology and a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from the University of Notre Dame Australia.

Throssell says that she toyed with the idea of another World Championships in Singapore this year and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2026.

But after Paris gold; a European summer; an engagement to long-time partner Josh Milner and the opportunity to put her business degree to “good use”, Throssell said it was time to look beyond the blocks.

“I just knew it was time. I’ll forever cherish the memories, friendships, and experiences … it’s been an incredible journey but now I am ready for a new chapter. The lessons I’ve learned—about perseverance, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence—will remain with me as I move forward but I am ready, and it was so so wonderful to finish the way I did,” she said.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better career finale. I still love the sport and really want to inspire the next generation because truly, swimming has taught me so much. I have so many people to thank … but to my parents and Dean (Boxall), to Josh (Milner) and all the Dolphins … thank you. I just feel so grateful.”

Coach Dean Boxall has described Brianna as the “unsung hero” of the Australian swimming team to which head Dolphins coach Rohan Taylor added: “Brianna has just contributed so much to this Dolphins swim team. She is a swimmer that just kept pushing and really found a way to get better. Bri will probably say her gold in Paris was a highlight.”

“But for me her individual medal in Doha was something special. It was a just reward for a true professional. She moved from Western Australia to the Sunshine Coast and then to Dean (Boxall) at St Peters and she just worked so hard – her PB for the 100m and 200m free came at the Paris Olympic Trials and that was at the age of 28, it just showed her professionalism and work ethic.

“And I know other athletes have commented that just seeing her in a marshalling room for relays just gave them so much confidence. I would like to congratulate Brianna on a fabulous career and wish her all the best from all of us at Swimming Australia.”

At the senior level, Throssell was a key relay contributor for the Dolphins, thanks in part to her versatility. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she swam the butterfly leg in prelims on the women’s medley relay, which went on to win gold in finals. In 2024 in Paris, she swam the third leg of Australia’s 800 free relay in finals, which won by almost three seconds and set a new Olympic Record, earning her the opportunity to stand on the podium as the anthem was played.

She also absorbed a prelims leg of that relay.

She won two bronze medals in Tokyo by swimming prelims legs of the women’s 800 free relay and the mixed 400 medley relay.

She also won several individual medals across other international championships. She won four silvers, including in the 100 fly and 200 free individually, at the 2012 Junior Pan Pac Championships, which was her international coming out. Two years later, at the Summer Youth Olympics, she won seven bronze medals, including individually in the 200 free, 100 fly, and 200 fly.

She won seven medals from the 2014 Oceania Championships, four from the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games, three from the World Short Course Championships, and 18 from the World Aquatics Championships. Of those 18, 17 were earned on relays, with the exception being in her last edition in 2024, where she took a bronze medal in the 200 free.

Throssell, who was born in Subiaco, Western Australia, is hailed as “Western Australia’s greatest Olympic swimmer.”