OMAHA —Twelve-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin announced Friday that she was withdrawing from U.S. Olympic trials and not swimming the final event she's entered in, the 50-meter freestyle.
She insisted she is not retiring from swimming, however.
Coughlin, 33, failed to qualify for the U.S. team headed to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, a disappointing end for one of America's greatest swimmers and someone who has been one of the sport's most prominent names for almost two decades. She decided not to swim the 50 free knowing she wouldn't swim her personal best. She wanted to not "continue the heartbreak," while allowing herself to cheer for friends involved in races the rest of the week.