2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist Katie Meili Announces Retirement

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Photo Courtesy: Eric Seals-USA TODAY Sports

A year shy of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Katie Meili announced her retirement on social media on Monday, walking away from the sport at 28. Meili won the bronze medal in the 100 breaststroke at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and also swam on the prelims relay of the 4×100 medley relay for the United States that won gold. Meili won silver a year later in the 100 breast at the 2017 World Championships with a time of 1:05.03, a mark that places her sixth all-time in the event.

Katie Meili had been juggling law school with swimming the last couple years as she enrolled in Georgetown Law School in the fall of 2017 after Worlds. She was training with the undergrad team at Georgetown and traveling to San Diego to train with Team Elite during her breaks. Meili finished second in the 100 breast at the 2018 Nationals in the 100 breast and 10th at Pan Pacs. She had qualified to swim on the team for the 2019 World Championships but gave up her spot to Micah Sumrall.

An undergrad at Columbia University, Meili was a late bloomer, realizing her greatest success in her post-collegiate days. After college, she headed to Charlotte and started training under David Marsh. She quickly dropped time and became one of the United States’ top breaststrokers, along with Lilly King. At the 2017 World Champs, Meili complemented her silver medal in the 100 breast with a bronze medal in the 50 breaststroke.

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100 Breast All-Time Top 10:

Lilly King, USA, 1:04.13 (2017)
Ruta Meilutyte, LTU, 1:04.35 (2013)
Yulia Efimova, RUS, 1:04.36 (2017)
Jessica Hardy, USA, 1:04.45 (2009)
Rebecca Soni, USA, 1:04.84 (2009)
Katie Meili, USA, 1:05.03 (2017)
Leisel Jones, AUS, 1:05.09 (2006)
Ji Liping, CHN, 1:05.32 (2009)
Katy Freeman, USA, 1:05.35 (2009)
Qi Hui, CHN, 1:05.47 (2009)

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Michael Fitzmaurice

4 years ago

I met this young lady in Charlotte while she trained for David Marsh at SwimMAC. Found her to be a very nice, sweet, extremely humble person. Whatever this lady decides to do in her future I’m sure she will be a huge success.

Jim Grisham

4 years ago

Classy statement of good bye Keili. Go luck in your legal career.