Three-time world champion swimmer Leonie Beck ends career

Leonie Beck, a decorated former swimming world champion, has officially ended her career in competitive sports. The 29-year-old German athlete announced her retirement, stating she will not return to elite-level competition. Beck expressed satisfaction with her current pursuits, which include numerous events and an entry into the media industry.

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I will not return to competitive sports anymore.

Beck achieved significant success in open water swimming, securing three World Championship gold medals. She won the 4x1.5-kilometer relay at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest and claimed individual titles over five and ten kilometers in Fukuoka in 2023. Her final official race took place in October 2024, according to the World Aquatics Federation.

Her career also includes multiple European Championship titles, with three gold medals: one in the ten-kilometer event at the 2022 Rome championships and two in Belgrade in 2024, also in the ten and five-kilometer races. Despite her international accolades, Beck never managed to win an Olympic medal.

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Two years before Paris, before the Olympic Games, I already knew that I definitely wanted to take a break from competitive sports and think about how I would continue. Definitely push forward with other projects - also with the thought: What will I do after elite sport?

Beck's transition to open water swimming occurred after a disappointing performance at the 2016 Olympic Games, a move that ultimately led to her greatest successes. She had previously focused on pool swimming before making the switch, which proved to be a pivotal decision in her career.

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I'm doing so well. I'm having so much fun with what I'm doing now. I'm at a thousand events, I've also entered the media world.