A young Australian talent on the rise appears to have retired just over a year before the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Abi Connor The 17-year-old announced his retirement from competitive swimming on Instagram earlier in the week.
He thanked friends, family, doctors and coaches for their support and adding at the end “See you later, swim.”
I trained with the trainer Alex Clark at Revesby Workers Swimming Club and was part of the NSW Institute of Sport team.
Connor wrote:
“All I can say is thank you to everyone who accompanied me on this wild ride.”
“For the people behind the scenes, my family, my coaches, physical therapists and friends, your unconditional support has been amazing and inspiring.
You deserve the world and so much more.
See you later there.”
Last year, Connor shaved nearly a second and a half off her best time in the 200m butterfly at the Australian Trials.
He closed in second in 2:08.58 behind the eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Dekkers (2:07.62).
In August, Connor made her debut at the Commonwealth Games. In the 200m butterfly, he swam the best in 2:08.36. She missed out on the bronze medal by just 0.04 seconds from the two-time Olympian Brianna Throssell (2:08.32). Dekkers won the gold medal in 2:07.26.
The 27-year-old Throssell’s path to his third Olympics is made easier with Connor seemingly out of contention.
Connor made his national debut in March 2021.
The 15-year-old swam 2:12.60 in the 200m butterfly at the NSW State Age Championships, breaking the record set by Michelle Ford in 1978.
A year later, she was selected to represent Australia at the Junior World Open Water Championships in Seychelles.
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