Madi Wilson Says She’s Not Retiring, Plans Return Post-Pregnancy

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

While two-time Olympian Madi Wilson is going to miss the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the expected berth of her first child, the 29-year-old says that this doesn’t close the book on her competitive swimming career.

In an interview with Australia’s The Age, Wilson described the journey with her fiance, Australian cricketer Matt Short, to pregnancy 7 months out of the Olympic Games. She told The Age that the two had a miscarriage in 2023, but then learned 7 months out from Paris that they were expecting again. Wilson’s expected due date is in late August.

While the first pregnancy was a surprise, Wilson said the couple decided to move forward – and after conversations with Short, the pair decided to try again for another pregnancy, which they learned about via a positive test on Christmas morning.

“I’m definitely not retired,” Wilson told this masthead. “I am returning to the pool in October. There are still things I need to do in the pool. I feel like I need to finish the way I want to finish, whether that be at a World Cup or another World Championship.”

It doesn’t sound like Wilson, then, is planning on going all the way through to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, though she didn’t rule it out either. Those Olympic Games will feature swimming and cricket, with Short a regular participant in Australia’s limited-test side.

Wilson also said that 2023 wasn’t the year she wanted. At the 2023 World Championships, she swam the 100 backstroke individually, finishing 9th in the semi-finals, and also swam in the heats of the women’s 400 free relay, women’s 800 free relay, women’s 400 medley relay, and mixed 400 free relay, earning three gold and one silver medal.

Wilson raced for Australia at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. At those meets, she won back-to-back golds as part of Australia’s 400 free relay, silver in the 400 medley relay, and bronze in the 800 free relay.

She also has 17 long course World Championship medals and 7 short course World Championship medals. Most of those are in relay events, with the exception being a 2015 individual silver medal in the 100 backstroke.

SwimSwam: Madi Wilson Says She’s Not Retiring, Plans Return Post-Pregnancy