China-born swim star Maggie Mac Neil, who won Olympic gold for Canada, announces retirement
Adopted at just a few months old after reportedly being abandoned in Jiujiang, Chinese fans were fascinated by Mac Neil’s story
Canadian Olympic swimming champion Maggie Mac Neil, who shot to fame at the Tokyo Olympics and captured the attention of Chinese fans around the world, is retiring.
The gold medallist in the women’s 100-metre butterfly in Japan three years ago announced the move on social media on Thursday, in a post that included a photo of her swimming as a child.
Mac Neil, who was born on February 26, 2000, in Jiujiang, China, was reportedly adopted by her Canadian parents in Guangxi after being abandoned at just a few months old. And her story resonated across the mainland.
“The little girl above would have never dreamed this is where her love of swimming would take her,” Mac Neil wrote. “I am so grateful for all the memories, people, and places I have gotten to experience just through swimming.
“I’m excited to begin the next chapter of my life journey, as I embark on discovering who I am outside of swimming.”
The 24-year-old, who grew up in London, Ontario, earned a complete set of medals in Tokyo after helping relay teams to silver and bronze medals, and captured the attention of Chinese social media by beating the country’s Zhang Yufei, considered by many to be a generational talent.
