Germany’s Philip Heintz Confirms Retirement Following ISL Season
German swimmer Philip Heintz confirmed that he is retiring from the sport, following the New York Breakers’ elimination from Match 11 of the International Swimming League season.
Heintz had announced in 2020, when the Tokyo Olympics were postponed by a year by the COVID-19 pandemic, that he would continue on to 2021. He extended his career to swim for the Breakers in ISL, which missed out on the playoffs via the Match 11 play-in.
Heintz confirmed his retirement via Instagram.
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The 30-year-old finished sixth in the 200 individual medley at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The Mannheim native was 13th in the 200 IM in Tokyo. He also qualified for the 2012 Olympics.
Heintz won a silver medal at the Short-Course World Championships in the 200 IM in 2016. He has three long-course European Championships medals, including silvers in the 200 IM in 2014 and 2018. He won gold in his signature event at the 2013 and 2017 short-course Euros, plus a silver in 2015 and bronze in 2019. He added a 400 IM silver in 2017.
In ISL with the Breakers this year, Heintz posted the 11th-fastest time in the men’s 200 IM. He was 15th in the 200 fly and 16th in the 100 IM. The Breakers feted Heintz on Thursday as a farewell, much as they did last year to Belgian swimmer Pieter Timmers.
Farewell to Philip Heintz from the NY Breakers; Photo Courtesy: Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto