Olympic gold medalist and swimming star Maggie MacNeil is taking a break from her career to focus on her mental health.
During an interview with CBC Sports, she stated that she would not be participating in individual events during the upcoming world championships in Budapest citing anxiety and pressure she feels to perform well.
MacNeil said she would only participate in relay events during the world championships, which are scheduled to take place from June 16 to 21.
On Wednesday, MacNeil won the 100-meter butterfly event at the Canadian trials with a time of 57.13. She said she only participated in these events to be eligible for team events.
“I always thought I was invincible,” MacNeil, who won 100m butterfly gold at the Tokyo Olympics, told CBC Sports.
“I was completely normal and fine in high school and most of college. But I think this year was a little more difficult for me.
“I’ve come across some post-Olympic struggles and it’s been really challenging. I realize everyone goes through struggles and it’s OK to have those struggles. It’s hard to stay at the top and that pressure really got to me. I need a chill summer.
“I don’t want to be out of international competition. I want to train and compete well for Canada but I needed that little bit of a let up. “Your mental and physical health comes before you as an athlete.”
The 22-year-old from London, Ontario, has been incredibly impressive in the pool over the last few years.
At the 2020 Olympics she won gold in the 100-meter butterfly, along with a silver and bronze in two team relays. She then went on to win four more golds and a silver at the 2021 world championships in Abu Dhabi.
The World Championships will run from June 18 to July 3 in Budapest, Hungary.
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