Olympic Medalist Bruno Fratus Announces Retirement
Brazilian Olympic medalist Bruno Fratus announced his retirement from competitive swimming this week.
Fratus made the announcement on social media, with posting confirmation of his formal withdrawal from the International Testing Agency’s list of active athletes. The 35-year-old is calling time on a distinguished career as one of South American’s greatest ever sprinters.
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Fratus swam at three Olympics, though he didn’t take part in last year’s Paris Games. His most notable international accolade came at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 when he won bronze in the 50 freestyle. He was the oldest pool swimmer in Olympic history at the time of his first medal.
That was the capstone on an outstanding career to that point. Fratus medaled in the men’s 50 free at three consecutive long-course World Championship, with bronze in 2015, silver in 2017 and silver in 2019. In between, he finished sixth at the Rio Olympics in the 50 free. He had been fourth four years earlier in the final of the London Games.
Fratus won gold in the men’s 50 free at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships. He took part in three consecutive editions of the Pan American Games, winning gold in the 50 free in 2019 after silvers in 2011 and 2015.
Fratus was the second wave of a generation of special Brazilian sprinters. World record holder Cesar Cielo was at the forefront, and Fratus’ lengthy reign as one of the most notable male sprinters has extended Brazil’s influence in that arena.
Fratus overcame shoulder surgery in the fall of 2018. Injuries to his shoulder limited his training in 2022, and they forced him to miss Olympic Trials in 2024 in the bid to reach the Paris Olympics.