S'pore gold medalist Letitia Sim, 23, announces retirement from swimming, pursuing different career

Singapore’s top breaststroke swimmer Letitia Sim has retired from competitive swimming.

The news was announced by Singapore Aquatics on its social media on May 22.

In a statement, Sim said she has decided to pursue a career outside of swimming, adding that it was not an easy decision to make but one that she knows is the "right path" for her moving forward.

She added:

"I am grateful for my time with Singapore Aquatics and for all of the opportunities and support they have provided me over the past few years. While I am proud of my accomplishments in the pool, I am even more thankful for the relationships, experiences, and memories created both in and out of the water that have shaped me into the person I am today.

Retirement

Singapore Aquatics said Sim's journey was never just about medals and records but about "resilience and trusting the process".

The 23-year-old is the current Singapore national record holder for the 50m, 100m, 200m breaststroke and the 200m individual medley, as well as the women’s 4x100m medley relay mark.

Sim was born in Singapore but raised in the United States, and made her international debut for Singapore at the 2022 SEA Games in Hanoi.

There, she impressed with three gold medals, one silver and one bronze.

The breaststroke specialist later narrowly missed out on medals at the 2023 Asian Games after finishing fourth in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke events.

She went on to win four gold medals at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia before making her Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games.

According to her social media, Sim graduated from the University of Michigan, where she studied kinesiology, just two weeks ago on May 4.

Her 19-year-old sister, Levenia Sim, is also a national swimmer.