American swimmer and World Record holder Coleman Stewart announced his retirement from competitive swimming on Tuesday, ending 20 years in the pool just 15 months shy of the 2024 US Olympic Trials. He is 25 years old.
Stewart was the 2018 NCAA Champion in the 100 yard backstroke swimming for NC State, and went on to win a gold (400 medley relay) and bronze (100 fly) at the 2019 World University Games.
One of the best short course swimmers in the world, Stewart was the victim of an American system that incentivizes and rewards short course swimmers with college scholarships and then all-but-ignores them thereafter. Stewart became the focal point of a huge debate in American swimming in 2021 when he was left off the roster for the Short Course World Championships in spite of being the World Record holder in the short course 100 backstroke.
The roster was selected based on long course results, rather than the most relevant short course, and while Stewart was a very good long course swimmer, he was not the best long course swimmer, and so was left home.
Wins at the Short Course Worlds were worth $10,000, with the top 8 in each event receiving prize money.
At his most recent meet on American soil, the Knoxville Pro Swim in January, he finished 10th in the 100 fly in 53.92; though best known as a backstroker, he seemed to be turning his focus to the butterfly races, in long course at least.
At the 2022 International Team Trials, he finished a best of 7th in the 50 fly. He was also 10th in the 100 fly and 12th in the 100 free.
His long course peak came at the 2021 US Olympic Trials. There he finished 8th in the 100 free (he was 6th in semis), 10th in the 100 back semis, and 4th in the 100 fly final.
He was also a massive contributor in the International Swimming League, which was competed in short course meters. In 2021, the most recent season of the league that is somewhere between disbanded and on pause, he was 9th in MVP scoring, earning somewhere north of $90,000 in prize money alone as part of the Cali Condors.
Now Stewart says that Big news is coming soon, from “the other side of the deck.” That step from the pool to the deck is something we’ve seen a lot recently, including from the likes of Kelsi Dahlia, who also retired shortly after breaking a short course World Record to go into coaching.
Stewart’s impact on the ISL made him a star, if for a fleeting moment tied to a league that hasn’t proven its staying power. While he won’t be remembered for Olympic medals, he more than once was a part of big conversation in the sport. Besides the discussions that his performances instigated over what is valued in American swimming, he was also part of one of the most memorable moments of the ISL.
During a semi-final of the ISL in 2020, Ryan Murphy, the top of the food chain in American backstroke, was caught on camera referring to Stewart by a less-than-flattering name after a race. The two eventually spoke and squashed the beef, but ultimately instigated a lot of valuable conversation about the theatricality of sport and whether swimming needs more friction in its elite ranks, not less, to attract a larger spectator audience.
And that’s a big part of what defines Stewart’s legacy in the sport, the immense value he provided as a support swimmer for Team USA. Not every swimmer can be Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky, but Stewart played his role well and made swimming a better place for it.
Great career and excited to see how he does with the next step. He was robbed out the ISL and his final NCAA’s but always kept grinding with the sport and has the proof in form of a world record.
What an amazing swimmer.
It’s too bad the ISL isn’t swimming because Coleman could have swam another year or two in the ISL.
Nevertheless a great career.
Hey, a great swimmer from a great swimming family, and a great ambassador to the sport. Welcome to being a swammer!
(and I do love the “Coleman” Hodges and Mel “Stewart” correlation. Would love to see an interview with all 3 of them some time down the road!
I an just NEVER going to get over my annoyance with US Swimming not making a path for SC swimming stars like Coleman and Nelson to make it onto the SC World Team and succeed on the world stage at a big championship meet! Mr Stewart, you had a wonderful career! I would kill to have my child on any team you coach! Good luck in the future!
Great article! Coleman is a class act! One small note left out of the article was his name connection/blend to the SwimSwam family, Coleman Hodges and Mel Stewart. Is it true his middle name is Braden?
No but “Yanyan” is his confirmation name.
He should be a sc world champion too
Coleman is a class act and I wish him nothing but the best in his next journey. Coaching is a great gig!
Great write up. He certainly left an impact on the sport, even if it’s not 100% the impact he hoped for or had the talent to produce. The timing makes sense, as it’s 18 months until the next short course meet of any consequence.
Even being NCAA champion is a great accomplishment!
Good luck on the next chapter!