American swimming star Lilly King announces farewell season, final US competition
The meet will run Tuesday through Saturday. A longtime breaststroke stalwart, King
announced her plans Saturday on Instagram
and said swimming her final race in the U.S. in her home state and a pool she's known since her youth 'has always been important to me.'
'Well, folks, my time has come. This will be my final season competing,' she wrote. 'I'm fortunate heading into retirement being able to say I have accomplished everything I have ever wanted in this sport. I feel fulfilled.'
The 28-year-old King holds the world record in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:04.13, set at the 2017 world championships. She won an Olympic gold medal in the 100 breast at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and also captured Olympic titles on relays in Rio and at her final Olympics last year in Paris.
The U.S. women's 4x100 medley relay set a world record
in 3:49.63. Regan Smith, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske were her teammates in the Americans' victory over defending Olympic champion Australia.
'Just an awesome way to cap off the meet,' King said afterward.
At the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, King earned silver medals in the 200 breaststroke and 4x100 medley relay and a bronze in the 100 breast.
She narrowly missed the medal stand
in the 100 breast in Paris, with one-hundredth of a second separating bronze medalist Mona McSharry of Ireland and the fourth-place tie between King and Italy's Benedetta Pilato in 1:05.60.
For King, being home in Indiana next week will mean so much.
It was also in Indianapolis last June during the U.S. Olympic swimming trials that
boyfriend and former Indiana University swimmer James Wells proposed
to her just off the pool deck — and she said yes.
'I have been racing in the IU Natatorium since I was 10 years old,' she wrote. 'From state meets, to NCAAs, Nationals, and anything in between, this pool has been my home. I didn't quite make it 20 years (only 18) of racing in Indy, but this is as close as I'm gonna get! I look forward to racing in front of a home crowd one last time.'
___
AP Summer Olympics:
https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Keely making up for lost time before the Worlds
Atherton's Olympic 800 metres champion Keely Hodgkinson admits she has found it 'upsetting' to be out of action for more than a year. The 23-year-old had not raced since claiming gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics after sustaining a hamstring injury in February, then suffering setbacks - twice-postponing her season debut. But she returned to the track on Saturday in style to win the 800m at the Silesia Diamond League meet in a world leading time. It was a relief for the Leigh Harrier who admits it has been a tough spell on the sidelines. 'It's been a frustrating year for real,' said Hodgkinson, who still hopes to be in fighting shape for the world championships in Tokyo, now less than one month away. 'Coming back into June, not being able to do anything and it had been so long, coming off the back of winning the Olympics last year, not ideal at all that I couldn't even get on the start line. 'It's definitely been a bit upsetting at times. 'Missing London was hardest for me, because it was so good last year. 'I just wanted to be there in front of my home crowd, especially coming back after the Olympics. 'It's been frustrating but it makes the good times sweeter and it makes it even better to be here now.' Speaking ahead of the return at the weekend in Poland, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year continued: 'I think tomorrow is just a stepping stone on the way there. I'm looking forward to getting out there, just being competitive again. 'I've come out ready to go, so I'm just excited to put something together.' Hodgkinson was forced to pull out of the inaugural edition of her eponymous Keely Klassic event in February, then the Stockholm and London Diamond Leagues. It was at the latter last season that Hodgkinson set a new national record of 1min 54.61secs in the 800m, weeks before becoming just the third British female Olympic champion at the distance after Ann Packer and Dame Kelly Holmes. Hodgkinson's trip to Poland got off to a speedy start even before she took to the track. She revealed: 'The organisers picked us up in a Porsche, we get about 10 minutes in and they were like, 'do you want to drive it?' 'I was like, 'of course I want to drive it!'. He was actually being serious, so I got in the car and drove it all the way back. It was fun.' Hodgkinson hopes to secure her first world title in Japan after back-to-back silvers at the last two championships, and is making the best of what remains in her control. The Lausanne Diamond League today - where the 800m is a diamond discipline - is next up. Hodgkinson added: 'It's been a long time. Over a year since Paris. 'It wasn't my plan to be this late, but I'm just super happy to get back on the start line. 'I've missed it. I've missed it a lot. 'This is what I trained to do, so I can't wait to go out there and just give it my absolute best and we'll see what happens.' Hodgkinson will line up against training partner Georgia Hunter Bell in Lausanne - her second and final planned race before next month's World Championships. She joins Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Hunter Bell - herself racing over 800m for the final time before deciding whether to target that event, the 1500m or both in pursuit of another global podium in Tokyo. Hunter Bell, who finished third in the 1500m in Silesia last week, will seek a third Diamond League 800m win of the season following impressive victories in Stockholm and London. She is also coached by Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, and has shown exciting progress in the 800m in her first year as a full-time athlete. Her 800m season's best of 1:56.74 is the fourth-fastest time this year and second quickest in the Lausanne line-up - but two seconds slower than Hodgkinson's new world-lead.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Giants great, Super Bowl winner Phil Simms lands new broadcasting gig after CBS exit
Giants legend Phil Simms is returning to the broadcast booth after his exit from CBS. The star quarterback, who called games for NBC and CBS from 1995 to 2016, will work three Big Ten college football games on Peacock this season, NBC Sports announced Tuesday. Simms was tabbed to serve as an analyst for the Illinois-Western Illinois game on Aug. 29, the Rutgers-Miami (OH) game on Sept. 6 and a third game to be determined alongside play-by-play announcer Paul Burmeister. Advertisement 3 Phil Simms of the New York Giants warms up before a NFL football game against the Washington Redskins on October 10, 1993 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. Getty Images 'I am very happy to be working again for NBC Sports doing college football games. I have had a great relationship with Paul Burmeister over many years so I know it going to be fun and exciting to work with him,' Simms said. 'I appreciate NBC for giving me this opportunity and I can't wait for the college football season to start.' The Super Bowl XXI MVP last played for the Giants in 1993 before joining ESPN as a studio analyst for the 1994 NFL season. Advertisement He was then part of NBC's lead broadcast crew with Dick Enberg and Paul Maguire for three seasons. Simms and Maguire also called a 1995 Notre Dame-Texas game with Tom Hammond for NBC. Simms also announced weightlifting events during the 1996 Olympics and was a sideline reporter during NBA games. When CBS acquired the AFC package from NBC in 1998, CBS hired Simms and paired him with Greg Gumbel and later Jim Nantz. 3 Phil Simms on NFL Today's coverage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada for Super Bowl LVIII. CBS via Getty Images Advertisement Simms was an analyst for eight Super Bowls before being replaced in the booth by Tony Romo. He worked as a studio analyst for CBS's 'THE NFL Today' from 2017 to 2023 before he was part of the network's major makeover as his contract expired. Simms, who worked at the network for 26 years, exited the show alongside former Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason while Matt Ryan and JJ Watt succeeded the pair in 2024. 'Nobody asked me, talked to me or anything like that,' Simms told the 'Front Office Sports Today' podcast in May 2024. 'I waited for I guess over a couple months to see what CBS was doing, and I think the longer you wait, the more you know it's not gonna work out in your favor.' Advertisement 3 Phil Simms #11, Quarterback for the New York Giants calls the play during the National Football Conference East game against the Washington Redskins on 10th October 1993 at the Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The Giants won the game 41 – 7. Getty Images Chris Simms, former NFL quarterback and Phil's son, will also call Big Ten games this season. 'We're excited to welcome Phil back to the NBC Sports team,' said Sam Flood, executive producer at NBC Sports. 'Phil is an elite analyst who gives the viewers the why of the game, while making sure to entertain. We are looking forward to having him back on the call for Peacock.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Panthers Defenseman Invited To Team USA's Olympic Orientation Camp
Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones has been invited to Team USA's Olympic orientation camp. The camp, scheduled for Aug. 26 and 27, is mainly for administrative and team-building purposes and does not feature any formal on-ice activity or public component. Earlier in August, Team Canada unveiled their orientation camp roster, which was headlined by five Panthers players: Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe. Jones is one of the newest Panthers, but his impressive track record goes beyond his time in Florida. Jones was the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, and has represented Team USA at the U-17s, U-18s, World Junior Championship and the World Championship. Jones won gold at the U-18s twice, the World Juniors once, while bringing home a silver medal at the U-17s and bronze at the World Championship. Jones is a minute muncher with good offensive instincts. He's a strong skater for a defenseman with a 6-foot-4 frame, but earning a spot on the American roster will be a challenge. The 30-year-old was left off the 4 Nations Face-Off roster and is one of the 16 defensemen invited to the orientation camp. The Americans don't lack talented offensive defenders, but require shutdown blueliners, something Jones could develop into this season.
