By Will Baxley on SwimSwam
Russian Olympic medalist and former world record holder Anton Chupkov officially announced his retirement from competitive swimming.
27-year-old Chupkov initially planned to retire shortly after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where he placed 4th in the 200 breaststroke. However, he then competed at the World Cup later in 2021.
Chupkov has not competed internationally since Russia invaded Ukraine and Russian athletes were suspended from international competition. While Russian athletes deemed neutral in the war were allowed to compete in the Olympics, the Ukrainian Government listed Chupkov as pro-war for liking and sharing pro-war posts.
Within the Russian swimming sphere, Chupkov has not been training intensely for some time, according to an interview with the Russian Swimming Federation. He also said that his decision to retire had nothing to do with performance or international suspension.
Perhaps Chupkov’s biggest career accomplishment comes from the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju. There, Chupkov won his first world title in world record fashion, clocking a time of 2:06.12 in the 200 breaststroke. This broke the previous world record of 2:06.67, jointly held by Ippei Watanabe and Matthew Wilson.
This record lasted for three years until Zac Stubblety-Cook brought it down to 2:05.95 at the 2022 Australian Championships. The current world record stands at 2:05.48 by Qin Haiyang from the 2023 World Championships.
Chupkov is also an Olympic medalist, earning bronze in the 200 breast at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. He’s also a two-time European Champion and holds four World Championship medals.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Anton Chupkov Announces Retirement