BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Three-time Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu of Hungary, one of the greatest all-around swimmers, has announced her retirement.
Known as the “Iron Lady” of swimming for her gruelling repertoire of events, the 35-year-old Hosszu competed at five Olympic Games. She was only 15 when she made her Olympic debut at the 2004 Athens Games.
Hosszu won her three individual gold medals in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, in the 100-meter backstroke, as well as her signature 200 and 400 individual medleys. She added a silver medal in the 200 backstroke.
She also won nine individual world titles in the long course pool dating to 2009 and still holds the long course 200 individual medley world record. She won 17 golds in the world short course championships.
“For thirty years, the water has been my home, a sanctuary where I found solace and strength,” she said in an Instagram post.
“From the moment I first stepped foot in the pool as a child, I knew I had discovered something magical. The cool embrace of the water was like coming home, a place where gravity ceased to exist, and each stroke brought me closer to my dreams.
“Now, as I look back on my career, I feel a sense of immense fulfillment. Medals and records are precious, but what remains most deeply is my undying love for swimming.”
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