Australian Record Holder Bobby Hurley Announces Retirement from Swimming

Photo Courtesy: Maria Dobysheva

Australian swimmer Bobby Hurley has announced his official retirement from the sport of swimming. At the age of 29, Hurley has achieved a lot in the sport, including garnering six World Championship medals, one of which was the World title in the 50m backstroke at the 2012 FINA SC World Championships in Istanbul.

Hurley’s early career began with a collection of three medals (two gold, one silver) at the 2007 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Maui, before finishing the dreaded third place in Australia’s 2008 Olympic Trials for the 400 freestyle.

That same year, Hurley rebounded and had a successful meet at the 2008 FINA SC World Championships in Manchester, where he competed in six events. He picked up a gold in the 4×200 free relay and was the youngest swimmer in the final for the men’s 100 back, where he finished eighth.

Hurley struggled with elbow injuries throughout the last few years of his career, undergoing stem cell therapy in 2014 to combat osteoarthritis. Following a four month break from the sport, he moved to Michigan and trained under Mike Bottom and Club Wolverine until the 2016 Australian Olympic Trials.

Although Hurley never made an Olympic team, Hurley continued to make an impact on the World Championship and World Cup scene, while also temporarily holding the 50 back world record for SCM in 2008.

Most recently, Hurley competed at the 2018 Australian Commonwealth Trials.

Hurley still holds four Australian relay records (one long course, two short course, and one mixed) to his name, while also breaking many more throughout his career, including becoming the first Australian to break the 50-second barrier in the 100 SCM backstroke in 2013.

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In 2017, Hurley moved to South Africa where he became a Performance Manager for at the Chad le Clos Swimming Academy. While there he coached Olympian Cameron van der Burgh and co-coached Olympian Chad le Clos with Andrea Di Nino prior to the 2017 FINA World Championships.

Retirement for Hurley, however, does not take him away from the sport of swimming, but instead shifts him further into the coaching role as he assumes the head coach position for Aqua Bliss Swimming. The club is based out of Normanhurst, New South Wales and Hurley has noted that he “intend[s] to bring the same passion and enthusiasm I had as a swimmer, each and every day.”

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