Just wondering what professional level swimmers have announced their retirement following the US olympic trials and the olympics. Also, any guesses as to who you think will retire that has not said so yet.
Some names that come to mind...
Kaitlin Sandeno
Gary Hall Jr
Neil Walker
Brooke Bishop
Margaret Hoelzer
Amanda Beard
Eric Shanteau
Davis Tarwater
Erik Vendt
Rachel Komisarz
Brenden Hansen (although he said in an interview that he "wasn't going out like that"
Jason Lezak
Dara Torres (who knows)
I wonder about Cullen Jones - he is a very high profile swimmer (in other words, could keep earning money at it for a while longer), but outside of the relay gold in which he lossed the lead I am not certain he could break into the medal round ever on the individual events. The USA has a bad lack of top level sprinters (or at least those that can wim gold/silver). International competition is gunna be rough in the coming years for US sprinters.
Hall will probably retire and get back in the pool in 2011. I wonder if he will do Masters Nationals now.
It would be a waste if he didn't. Where else are you going to wear all of those boxing robes in public? :)
Cullen Jones is only 23. That is very young for sprinters. But, Weber-Gale and Lezak and now Phelps could keep him from individual events. I am still baffled by all the endorsements he gets for just being a relay swimmer at the Olympics. Usually, you have to win a gold medal in an individual event to get a Johnson and Johnson commercial.
The USA has a bad lack of top level sprinters (or at least those that can wim gold/silver). International competition is gunna be rough in the coming years for US sprinters.
Luckily Michael Phelps has announced that he is going to move to the sprint events (100s anyway).
Cullen Jones ... I am still baffled by all the endorsements he gets for just being a relay swimmer at the Olympics. Usually, you have to win a gold medal in an individual event to get a Johnson and Johnson commercial.
I'm not. He's a top athlete with a unique background and a public profile that has only escalated by his contribution to that relay. And, though I don't know him personally, anyone who has had any interaction with him has nothing but high praise for him.
He already has a foundation set up for doing the same thing Phelps wants to do with his $1M bonus, though Cullen is focusing on a more needy group. I think the fact that he took the time to work on that AND train for the Olympics says something about him (and Phelps for that matter).
I'm not. He's a top athlete with a unique background and a public profile that has only escalated by his contribution to that relay. And, though I don't know him personally, anyone who has had any interaction with him has nothing but high praise for him.
He already has a foundation set up for doing the same thing Phelps wants to do with his $1M bonus, though Cullen is focusing on a more needy group. I think the fact that he took the time to work on that AND train for the Olympics says something about him (and Phelps for that matter).
Is Cullen the #2 or #3 best paid male swimmer? If I had to guess I would say he is. There is no way he is retiring. Besides, his best event is the 50M free. His semifinal time of 21.71 makes him the 3rd fastest American ever.
Neil Walker appearantly told Ande that he is done. his first two days at 1997 Nats was the best NCAA swimming ever (up to that point). I wonder about Hall. I think he'll be at the '12 trials.
