Meaghan Benfeito, Three-Time Olympic Medalist Diver, Announces Retirement

Team-Canada-Meaghan-Benfeito-new-medals-e1623173655593

Photo Courtesy: Team Canada/Minas Panagiotakis

Meaghan Benfeito, Three-Time Olympic Medalist Diver, Announces Retirement

Meaghan Benfeito, a three-time Olympic diving medalist from Canada, announced her retirement at age 33 this week.

Benfeito made the announcement via Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Meaghan Benfeito ?? (@megbenfeito)

“After several months of reflection, it’s now time for me to hang up my bathing suit,” Benfeito wrote, before lengthy thank yous to many people, including the two synchro partners she spent most of her career with. “I’m so proud of the career I’ve had and I’m extremely grateful for what diving has brought to my life, but I’m finally ready to move on to my next chapter!”

Benfeito, a native of Montreal, competed at four Olympics. She won bronze in the 10-meter synchro with Roseline Filion at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Benfeito added individual 10-meter bronze in Rio.

She competed in the Tokyo Olympics, pairing with Caeli McKay to finish fourth in 10-meter synchro. She was 13th in the 10-meter individual event. She placed seventh, with Filion, at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. (Her medals were destroyed in an apartment fire in 2021, but she received replacement medals before the Tokyo Games.)

Benfeito had a storied career in and out of the Olympics. She won three silver medals at World Championships, including the 10-meter/synchro double in 20144. She burst onto the scene at age 15 at the 2005 Worlds in her hometown, winning 10-meter synchro bronze with Filion.

Benfeito won double gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, among five total medals there, and served as the Canadian delegation’s flagbearer for the 2018 Gold Coast Games. She also swept golds at the 2019 Pan Am Games, among three Pan Am golds and seven total medals.

Benfeito, who has been diving since age 7, plans to remain involved in the sport in some capacity.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use