PARIS – Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu, a triple Olympic gold medallist, announced she was quitting the sport aged 35 on Jan 8.

“I announce my retirement, thanks to everyone who was involved and cheered me on!” Hosszu, who won the 200m and 400m individual medleys as well as 100m backstroke gold and 200m silver at the Rio Games in 2016, wrote on Facebook.

“For thirty years, water was my home, a sanctuary where I found solace and strength.

“From the moment I first set foot in the pool as a child, I knew I had discovered something magical. The water’s cool embrace felt like a homecoming, a place where gravity ceased to exist and each arm stroke brought me closer to my dreams.”

Hosszu won 42 world championship medals between 2009 and 2019. Her haul included nine long-course and 17 short course world titles.

The first swimmer to earn US$1 million (S$1.37 million) in prize money, she swam so many events at championships that she earned the nickname “The Iron Lady”, which she embraced.

The versatile athlete, who won medals in the medleys, backstroke and butterfly, was also a familiar name in Singapore, having competed in the Fina Swimming World Cups from 2012 to 2019.

Hosszu first made waves when she won the 400m individual medley at the 2009 World Championships (long course) in Rome, and went on to build a reputation of competing in a high volume of events.

For example in 2012 she swam 104 races (42 heats and 62 finals) in the Fina World Cup (short course) within 40 days, standing on the podium 53 times (39 gold, eight silver and six bronze medals).

She chalked up an incredible 27,600m – no other athlete had then attempted such a programme in the World Cup, according to the European Aquatics website.

Despite her numerous achievements, Hosszu initially struggled for success at the Olympic Games, enduring a long medal drought – including narrowly missing out on a bronze in the 400m individual medley in London 2012.

She finally struck gold, thrice, in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and added a silver.

“As I progressed in my swimming career, I went from a curious child to one of the most successful female swimmers ever,” she wrote.

“Each race I won was not only a testament to my hard work and dedication, but also a reflection of the many training hours, sacrifices made.”

“I’ll never forget the thrill of the race.”

Hosszu, who welcomed her daughter Kamila with husband Mate Layber-Gelencser in August 2023, retires as the world record holder in the long-course 100m individual medley. AFP

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