French Olympic champion Florent Manaudou has announced his retirement from competitive swimming at the age of 35, bringing an extraordinary career spanning four Olympic Games to a close.
Manaudou, who won the 50-metre freestyle gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, will make his final appearance at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris.
Two years later, I’m announcing the end,” Manaudou told France TV, referring to the two years since his last Olympic appearance at the Paris Games.
His retirement closes a career that produced six Olympic medals — one gold, three silver and two bronze — making him one of France’s most successful swimmers.
His Olympic breakthrough came in London in 2012, where he stunned the field to win the 50m freestyle title.He subsequently competed at the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, maintaining his position among the world’s elite sprint swimmers for more than a decade.
At the 2024 Paris Games, Manaudou won bronze in the same 50m freestyle event that had brought him Olympic gold 12 years earlier.
Swimming success also runs in the Manaudou family.
His older sister Laure Manaudou was herself an Olympic champion, winning the women’s 400m freestyle at the 2004 Athens Games.
Florent’s career therefore added another chapter to one of France’s most prominent swimming families.
His decision to retire at 35 brings an end to a remarkable period of longevity at international level.
From his unexpected Olympic triumph in London to his final medal on home soil in Paris, Manaudou leaves the sport with a legacy built on speed, consistency and remarkable durability.
Four Olympic Games. Six medals. One final goodbye.
