Three-Time Olympian & European Record-Holder Kira Toussaint Calls Time On Career
Three-time Olympian and European 50 back record-holder Kira Toussaint has called time on a career in which she’s won world and continental titles.
The Netherlands swimmer made the announcement on social media where she recalls telling her mother: “One day I’ll be faster than you.” Her mother being Jolanda de Rover, Olympic 200 back champion and 100 bronze medallist at LA 1984.
Toussaint’s announcement comes on the brink of the Dutch trials for the World Championships where she’ll compete in a couple of relays for her club De Dolfijn and follows the addition of the 50s to the programme at LA 2028.
Kira Toussaint: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
She said: “Today I announce my retirement from professional swimming.
“As a young girl, I told my mom: ‘One day I’ll be faster than you.’ Back then I had no idea what that meant but I already had big dreams.
“It feels strange and beautiful at the same time that something that has been a big part of my life comes to an end. It wasn’t an easy decision especially when it was announced that my favourite event, the 50m backstroke, finally became an Olympic event. I realise that unfortunately it’s too late for me, but that’s completely okay now.
“When I look back I’m extremely grateful for all the beautiful experiences, special people, and all the medals that I was fortunate to win.
“But maybe my biggest victory is something you can’t define with medals. Self-confidence and the deep-rooted belief that you can always learn and improve as a swimmer and a human being.
“I will definitely keep swimming because I dream of staying fit my whole life but from now on not as a professional swimmer anymore.
“Finally, I’d like to thank my family, friends, teammates and sponsors and of course the fans. You have made my career unforgettable.”
The 31-year-old set the world short-course 50 back mark of 25.60 at the ISL in November 2020, a time she matched a month later. It stood until December 2021 when Maggie MacNeil went 25.27 at the short-course worlds.
Toussaint then set a European 50 back mark in the long-course pool, stopping the clock in 27.10 at the Eindhoven Qualification Meet in April 2021 and later that same year she went on to reach three finals at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing fourth in the Dutch women’s 4×100 free as well as sixth in the mixed medley and seventh in the 100 back.
It was the most successful of her three Games after making her debut at Rio 2016 and closing her Olympic career with sixth in the mixed medley and a semifinal appearance in the 100 back.
Toussaint claimed her final international medal at the 2024 World Championships in Doha where she split 53.81 as the Netherlands women won the 4×100 free. She also won bronze in the mixed medley at Budapest 2022.
She leaves the competition pool with armfuls of silverware across the long and short-course pools. Two world long-course medals; five world short-course; eight – including two golds – in the European long-course pool and nine titles among 13 medals in continental s-c waters.
However, she also was on the wrong side of a re-swim at the European Championships in 2021. Kathleen Dawson had won the original 100 back with Toussaint taking silver and Maria Kameneva bronze before governing body LEN (now European Aquatics) accepted there was a “partial malfunction of the starting system” in lane eight at the Duna Arena.
The race was re-run with Toussaint finishing fourth, 0.10secs off the podium in 59.32. She said at the time: “I’m proud of how calm and positive I remained, but in the end of the ‘second final’ my tank was empty. 4th… it feels unfair, it feels like I’m robbed of a silver medal, it is painful.”