Maggie Mac Neil, the 24-year-old gold medalist from London, Ontario, announced that she is retiring from competitive swimming.
Mac Neil made the announcement on social media and said, “I am so grateful for all the memories, people, and places I have gotten to experience just through swimming.” She also added “anyone who I ever crossed paths with never, ever told me I couldn’t achieve my goal of going to the Olympics. It’s still surreal to be able to say I’m 2xOlympian.”
The 24-year-old won a gold medal in the women’s 100m freestyle at the 2021 Olympic games in Tokyo. She also took home a silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay and bronze in the 4x100m medley relay during the same Olympics.
This summer in Paris, Mac Neil made her second Olympic appearance. She placed fifth in the 100m fly, sixteenth in the 100m freestyle. She was also involved in three Canadian relays that had a pair of fourth place finishes and one fifth place finish.
Originally born in Jiujiang, China in February 2000, she was adopted 1 year later by her Canadian family. Growing up in London, Mac Neil competed for Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School and the London Aquatic Club prior to her acceptance at the University of Michigan.
Before the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer, Mac Neil said she is looking forward to getting into Law school and starting the next chapter in her life.
