Canadian Olympian Brent Hayden re-retires
An injured again and melancholy pressured Brent Hayden to retire from aggressive swimming after the 2012 London Olympics. After a profitable comeback on the Tokyo Video games final summer season, Hayden’s retiring once more, however on his phrases.
The 38-year-old Hayden introduced his retirement via Swimming Canada on Friday, formally bringing an finish to his profession as an athlete. He stated that as a substitute of retiring on the finish of the Tokyo Olympics this previous August, or on the finish of the Worldwide Swimming League season, he needed to rigorously take into account the choice as a substitute of speeding into it like he needed to again in 2012.
“I believe I am at that age the place it is it is a good time for me to go,” stated Hayden from his residence in New Westminster, B.C. “There are simply so many extra issues that I wish to do in life, like my whole life. I do not need my whole life to be swimming.”
Hayden stated he’ll proceed to manage to his Swimming Secrets and techniques on-line program, that he hopes to increase into in-person clinics worldwide. He additionally intends to assist his spouse Nadina Zarifeh along with her enterprise tasks and proceed to pursue his ardour for pictures.
The Mission, B.C., swimmer competed at 4 Olympics, incomes bronze within the males’s 100-metre freestyle on the 2012 London Video games. He additionally gained the world championship in the identical self-discipline in 2007.
Hayden retired in 2012 after the 4×100-metre medley relay on the London Olympics due to an ailing again that left him in fixed ache. Coupled with melancholy, he had misplaced his ardour for swimming.
In September 2019, Hayden introduced that he was popping out of retirement, with the intention of competing on the Tokyo Olympics.
He achieved that aim and have become the oldest Olympic swimmer in Canadian historical past at age 37.
“I needed an opportunity to not simply to come back again and swim, but in addition an opportunity to re-retire,” stated Hayden. “It was a split-second choice in 2012. I am not going to do this this time.
“Initially, I used to be simply speaking about possibly taking the summer season off. However the longer I went into this day without work, the extra I began realized that it was time for me to maneuver on.”
Hayden helped Canada to a fourth-place end within the males’s 4×100-metre freestyle relay final summer season on the Tokyo Video games, setting a Canadian report of three:10.82. His leadoff leg of 47.99 made him the oldest to ever swim beneath 48 seconds.
He additionally completed ninth within the males’s 50-metre freestyle, the highest outcome amongst Canadian males.
Nineteen-year-old Josh Liendo, who adopted Hayden within the Tokyo relay, stated he’ll always remember their race collectively. Liendo stated Hayden had an immeasurable affect on his profession, regardless of their transient time collectively as teammates.
“His preparation going right into a race, his mentality going into racing, the best way he carries himself, that battle he has going right into a race,” stated Liendo. “I additionally realized I’ve received to deal with my physique as a lot as I can. Him coming again was nothing in need of wonderful and I want him success in his subsequent chapter.”
Hayden’s comeback started when he emailed Swimming Canada’s excessive efficiency director John Atkinson a couple of potential comeback when the nationwide crew was competing on the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships.
“We have been prepared to assist him come again and he did an incredible job in his comeback. Not solely making the Video games, however being a key member of the crew,” stated Atkinson. “He helped the boys’s 4×100 freestyle relay crew place fourth within the ultimate, and the affect he had with that crew will stick with Swimming Canada via Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028.
“We want him all the very best in his future endeavours and hope to maintain him concerned not directly.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed April 1, 2022.
