Luana Alonso, a two-time Olympian from Paraguay, shocked the world when she suddenly announced her retirement on social media after the conclusion of the 100 butterfly heats.
These Paris Olympics were her second Olympic appearance, as she only entered the 100-meter fly, which she finished 29th in 1:03.09.
She finished 28th overall in the event in Tokyo.
Luana Alonso’s highest international finish comes from the 2022 World Championships, where she placed 20th in the 100 fly.
The 20-year-old, who holds multiple Paraguayan records in the butterfly, finished in sixth place on Saturday and was devastated, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the semi-final stage.
That led to Luana Alonso posting after the race: “It’s official now! I’m retiring from swimming, thank you all so much for the support! Sorry, Paraguay, I only have to thank you!”
After the race, she told Claro Sports that she was “happy” to end her pro career at the Olympics.
Alonso said: “I am very emotional because it was my last race. I am retiring from swimming.
“I have been swimming for so long, 18 years, and I have so many feelings.
“Unfortunately, I made the decision to stop, and I am happy that my last race will be at the Olympic Games.”
Alonso, who also swam for a season at Virginia Tech before transferring to SMU, set career-best times in 2023 for the butterfly’s 100m and 200m events.
That is where she began to gain thousands of followers as she competed in the NCAA championships that year.
What’s Next For Luana Alonso After Paris Olympics Failure?
Luana Alonso, the 20-year-old Paraguayan swimmer who went viral before the 2024 Olympics for a tattoo, announced her retirement from swimming Saturday.
With a budding fan base that includes over 300,000 followers on Instagram, what is next for Alonso?
The 20-year-old attends Southern Methodist University near Dallas, Texas. Although she swam for the team, differences with head coach Ozzie Quevedo led to her leaving SMU, and she would not compete in the NCAA past her sophomore season, per Swimswam.com.
There is no word on whether she plans to return to the sport for her school and hang up her time for good overall.
