Florent Manaudou announces retirement from competitive swimming

French Olympic swimmer Florent Manaudou has announced his retirement from competitive swimming at the age of 35. The announcement was made during an interview with France Télévisions on Thursday, held in conjunction with the European Aquatics Championships in Saint-Denis.

Manaudou, a prominent figure in the sport, concludes a highly decorated career that includes six Olympic medals. His achievements include an Olympic gold medal in the 50m freestyle at the 2012 London Games, followed by silver medals in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021, and two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He also holds four World Championship gold medals.

A formal tribute ceremony to honor his career is scheduled to take place this Saturday at 6:00 PM at the Olympic Aquatic Centre in Saint-Denis. Manaudou had not competed at a high level since the 2024 Paris Olympics, having previously taken a hiatus between 2016 and 2019 to pursue handball.