Three-time Canadian Olympian Katerine Savard Retires
Katerine Savard, a three-time Olympian for Canada, announced her retirement from swimming on Wednesday.
Savard made the announcement on social media and in a documentary being aired on Canadian TV Wednesday. The 31-year-old won 34 medals in international competition since her national team debut in 2010, with the highlight of a bronze medal in the women’s 800 freestyle relay at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
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Savard’s biggest individual honor was winning the 100 butterfly at the 2013 World University Games and the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the latter in a Canadian record. Her international accolades include four relay medals at the World Long-Course World Championships and nine relay medals (including four gold) at World Short-Course Championships. She also has medals at the Pan Pacific Championships and Pan American Games.
Savard was born in Pont-Rouge, Quebec, and swam at Club Aquatique Montreal CAMO. She has a degree in pre-school and primary education with a goal of a career in teaching. She also has experience in front of the camera, starring in the 2020 feature film Nadia, Butterfly.
“I remember always wanting to be a teacher, long before I dreamed of becoming an athlete,” Savard told Swimming Canada. “I grew up playing the teacher, and today I’m happy to be able to fulfill that dream.”
Savard joins Maggie Mac Neil as successful Canadian butterfliers who’ve retired since the Paris Games. Mac Neil has long cited Savard as an inspiration in pushing her toward her gold medal in the 100 fly at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
“She was, and continues to be, one of my greatest inspirations,” Mac Neil said. “I think she is the epitome of what it means to be a Canadian Olympian, and is a great role model for other up and comers and inspiring them to pursue their dreams. Hopefully these little kids that she’s going to teach will feel the same way.”
“Katerine has always been a valuable member of our national swimming teams and deserves all the success she has achieved during her brilliant career,” Swimming Canada High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson said. “In my eyes, her gold medal win at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and her Olympic medal are among the highlights of her journey with the national team. Katerine’s longevity with the national team is also due to her commitment to the sport. We know that this determination will always be a great quality of character as she embarks on the next phase of her career and life. We wish Katerine all the best and congratulate her on her swimming career.”