2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
- Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
- Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
- Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
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Two-time world champion and 2016 Olympic medalist Anton Chupkov says he plans on retiring from competitive swimming in the near future.
Chupkov finished outside of the medals in the men’s 200 breaststroke final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Thursday morning, the event in which he is the world record holder and reigning two-time world champion, telling reporters after the race of his desire to move on from the sport.
“Games in Paris? No, the next goal is to enjoy life,” said the 24-year-old Chupkov, according to Russian news agency TASS (translated from Russian).
“To continue living, but without it (swimming). This is one of my last starts at a high international professional level.”
Chupkov has intimated as much in the past, saying he would have retired after the Games last summer had they not been postponed in November.
Chupkov set the world record in the 200 breast at the 2019 World Championships in a time of 2:06.12, winning his second consecutive world title, showing an incredible level of dominance in the event since claiming bronze at the 2016 Games in Rio.
But in Tokyo, the Russian was well off his best in a time of 2:07.24, placing fourth as Australian Zac Stubblety-Cook won gold in an Olympic Record time of 2:06.38.
Chupkov also told reporters that he will not race at the 2022 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
“I want to develop further,” he said. “And I don’t want to live at the training camp again after so many years. I want to switch over and live differently.”
In addition to his two World Championship titles and 2016 Olympic bronze, Chupkov also owns a pair of bronzes from the LC Worlds in the men’s 400 medley relay, and is also the reigning two-time European champion in the 200 breast.
An absolute champion, sad to see him go out without an Olympic medal. Enjoy life Anton!
Sounds like his heart hasn’t been in it for the past year, which explains the performance. Refreshing to hear from an athlete who accepts what their heart is telling them, often it seems like athletes just keep going for the sake of it when the love has clearly gone.
If professional swimming wasn’t enjoyable to him then why did he wait for so long? Or it is only enjoyable when you win and he cannot tolerate the losses. Then go. He probably accumulated enough money for enjoyable life.
On the other hand I’m not sure that translation in English of his statement made in Russian is accurate.
He was arguably one of the best Breaststrokers.
He retires with his world record. A great career despite the results tonight.
Best of luck. Dude knows what he wants.
Happy for his personal decision but it might be a case of another federica pelegrini retiring repeatedly
No . I think he wants a prestigious & influential govt position . Perhaps we will see him internationally again but on the other side of the negotiating table . He’s got that steadfastness thing going on .
I don’t think it is. I hope it is though, I know he can go 2:05. I wanna see that haha
he specifically called out not wanting to live at the training camp as one of the reasons. growing up I had the opportunity to experience training in Russia. You really can’t compare the the athlete’s experience to what we have in the US. It feels as all the advancements that swimmers in the US have, the Russians try to make up for through two solutions: swim and train a load tonne more..
I wish him good luck. He will always be remembered for his monstrous back half