SYDNEY – Australian gold medalist Mack Houghton, who had a bitter rivalry with China's Sun Yang, announced his retirement from international swimming on Sunday.
Horton, 27, won gold in the 400m freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but with six months to go before the Paris Games, she says she no longer has the motivation she needs to continue competing. talk.
“I wanted to swim in Paris, but I wasn't hungry,” Houghton said in a Swimming Australia statement released on Sunday. “I always want to give my best and I’m not someone who just wants to make numbers, so now is the right time to step back.
“I am very grateful for my time in swimming, and in terms of legacy, I want my teammates and the sports world to know that I was able to help them and the sports world in some way.”
Houghton is perhaps best known as a champion of clean sport, particularly for his strong views on rival Sun Yang, whom he branded a “drug crook” at the Rio Games.
The Australian then refused to stand on the podium next to Son after Son won his fourth consecutive gold medal at the 400m freestyle world championships in Gwangju, South Korea in 2019.
Houghton finished second, winning the silver medal in a reversal from the 2016 Olympic final, where the Australian won gold.
In 2021, Son was suspended from competing in international swimming for four years and three months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for refusing to provide a sample and rigging a doping test.
Houghton won bronze as a front swimmer in the 4x200m freestyle at the Tokyo Games after failing to qualify for the Australian team defending its 400m gold medal at the Rio Games.
He also won eight medals, including seven at the World Championships, four at the Panpac Championships, and four golds at the Commonwealth Games.
