Australian Olympian, world champion, and former world file holder Kiah Melverton has introduced her retirement from aggressive swimming at 27 years previous.
The choice got here just a few weeks after final month’s Australian Olympic Trials, the place she positioned third within the 400 IM (4:42.82), 4th within the 400 freestyle (4:06.17), and twelfth within the 200 free (1:58.37). Melverton didn’t contest the 800 free, an occasion the place she was a finalist on the 2024 World Championships and silver medalist on the 2022 World Championships behind solely Katie Ledecky.
“It’s been an extended journey however one which has come to an finish,” Melverton wrote on Instagram. “To those that supported me for years thanks. Coaches, my mum, household, mates, biomech, physiologist, health club coach, nutritionist, psychologist, physio, therapeutic massage, sponsors, it’s not one thing you are able to do by yourself and I thanks for every part. Trying again on my profession I’m tremendous pleased with what I achieved and the chums and recollections I made alongside the best way.
“I managed to do all of it fairly actually; world quick course, world championships, pan pac video games, commonwealth video games, open water world champs and eventually an Olympics,” she continued. “I’ve received particular person medals and was aside of an superior 4×200 relay crew over time that broke a world file in 2022. I want everybody the most effective in Paris and I’ll be cheering on from residence. When one door closes one other one opens and I’m excited to see what the longer term brings. Good afternoon, good night and goodnight.”
Melverton has competed on the previous 5 World Championships, amassing two gold medals (4×200 free relay in 2019 and 2023), two silvers (800 free and 4×200 free relay in 2022), and one bronze (4×200 free relay in 2024) over the course of her profession. At the newest Worlds in Doha, Qatar, she positioned seventh within the 800 free (8:29.35) and nineteenth within the 400 IM (4:53.82). She made her Worlds debut on the 2017 version as an open water swimmer within the ladies’s 5km.
Melverton additionally ends her profession as a five-time medalist on the Commonwealth Video games. On the 2018 version in Australia, she captured a bronze medal within the 800 free. 4 years later in England, she confirmed off her versatility by securing bronze within the 400 free, two silvers within the 400 IM and 800 free, and a gold medal within the 4×200 free relay en path to a brand new world file. Melverton cut up 1:55.40 to assist the Aussies set a brand new international customary in 7:39.29 that they lowered to 7:37.50 the next summer season.
On the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Melverton positioned sixth in each the 800 free (8:22.25) and 1500 free (16:00.36). She completed her profession with a powerful array of lifetime bests within the 200 free (1:55.94 in 2022), 400 free (4:03.12 in 2022), 800 free (8:16.79 in 2022), 1500 free (15:56.46 in 2019), and 400 IM (4:36.78 in 2022).
