SEAL BEACH, California, October 14. OLYMPIC gold medalist Lauren Perdue has announced her retirement following a series of injuries that has held back her training for another Olympic berth.
Perdue has been plagued with injury for many years, and her story of making the 2012 Olympic team is a remarkable one. A stress fracture in her lower back about a year before the Olympic Trials required surgery and kept her out of the NCAA championships, but the University of Virginia standout persevered and placed fourth in the 200 free in at Trials, securing her spot on the team.
Photo Courtesy: UVA Athletics
Watch Perdue’s interview with Tiffany Elias after making the Olympic Team:
Perdue swam in the prelims of the 800 free relay in London, earning a gold medal for her efforts based on the team’s finish in the final that evening. Injuries have been so strong that Perdue was unable to compete at the 2013 or 2014 national championships.
“This has been a tough decision, but despite my strong desire to compete, my body has had enough,” Perdue said in a press release. “It was an honor to represent the United States of America in the Olympic Games, and I am forever grateful for the opportunities swimming has provided. I will continue to stay involved and give back to the sport in every way possible.”
Perdue thrived under Mark Bernardino’s guidance at Virginia. She won 19 Atlantic Coast Conference titles and found herself in multiple individual championship finals at the NCAA championships. She was able to spend her postgraduate time working towards a return to competition thanks to a sponsorship from TYR.