Georgia Davies Calls Time On Career Topped By Titles European & Commonwealth For GBR & Wales

2021-12-09 Reading Time: 6 minutes
Georgia Davies set to race at what would be her final Olympic trials - by Georgie Kerr, courtesy of British Swimming

Georgia Davies, the four-time European champion and a Commonwealth champion for Wales, has announced her retirement from racing after an international swimming career that featured two Olympic Games, a quartet of World Championship appearances and a role as a pioneer of the new Pro-Swim era on the Energy Standard squad in the International Swimming League.

Davies is the fourth Britain women’s team member to retire this year, after medleys aces Siobhan-Marie O’Connorbeyond an agonising struggle Hannah Miley and Aimee Willmott.

Speaking of her decision to call time on her career, Davies said:

“As a young swimmer, I was always so competitive and determined – but I don’t think I could ever have imagined at that time that I would go on to represent Wales and Great Britain over 15 years, and win multiple international medals along the way.

“I’m so proud that I got to hear both the Welsh and British anthems play on the podium, as well as representing my country at a home Olympics. Those are truly special moments that not everyone gets to experience, and I feel so fortunate.

“Although swimming is mostly an individual sport, it’s impossible to do it alone. I think that the reason I’ve been able to have such a long career is down to how much I’ve enjoyed the journey with my teammates and friends. It’s also testament to the level of support I’ve had all along, from my family and from some amazing coaches and support staff. I just want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has helped me in some way, big or small.” 

Georgia Davies – image by Georgie Kerr, courtesy of British Swimming

From The SOS/SwimVortex Archive: Glasgow 2014, Commonwealth Games

Welsh Aur For Georgia Davies – Like Buses, Wait 40 Years 2 Come At Once

Day 6 Finals – Women’s 50m backstroke

Like the proverbial bus, you wait 40 years and two come along at once: a day after Jazz Carlin panned for the first Welsh gold in the Commonwealth pool for 40 years, teammate Georgia Davies thundered to a 27.56 triumph in the backstroke dash four years after Delhi silver.

The winning time set a British and Games record inside the 27.61 with which she booked lane 4 for the showdown today. Right there with her every stroke of the way was England’s Lauren Quigley, a Britain teammate at all but Commonwealth occasions, on an English record of 27.69.

The battle for bronze went to Canada’s Brooklyn Snodgrass, in 27.97 just 0.01sec ahead of Australia’s Emily Seebohm, who went 27.89 in semis.

  • 1 Georgia Davies (Wal) 27.56secs (GR), 2 Lauren Quigley (Eng) 27.69, 3 Brooklynn Snodgrass (Can) 27.97, 4 Emily Seebohm (Aus) 27.98, 5 Kathleen Dawson (Sco) 28.47, 6 Elizabeth Simmonds (Eng) 28.54, 7 Belinda Hocking (Aus) 28.58, 8 Madi Wilson (Aus) 28.86

It was 1974 when Pat Beavan claimed the 200m breaststroke title. Davies’ Wales teammate Jazz Carlin’ and her 800m win this week ended an era and triggered the start of a new one, the Welsh Dragon’s golden horde among women swelling from the loneliness of one to a sorority of three.

With silver back in 2010, Davies became the first Welshwoman to make it to the dash backstroke podium.

When Beavan talked on a Welsh radio show alongside David Davies, the most successful Welsh swimmer ever with medals Olympic, World, European and a Commonwealth title to his credit, she told listeners that it came as a relief that after such a long time, she was no longer ‘the last one’.

Davies, a 23-year-old who moved from Swansea to be based at Loughborough with Britain sprint coach James Gibson last September, said:

“I’m just so happy. It hasn’t sunk in yet, I’ve been swimming since I was really young. Training early in the morning before school and having to give up a lot and sacrifice things, but it’s all worth it when you get that result.”

Georgia Davies – photo: 2014 Commonwealth champion for Wales – by Ian MacNicol

Flashback to Delhi 2010: Sophie Edington continued to keep Australia’s golden stroke rate that tiny, critical bit ahead of England’s when she retained the crown in 28.00sec, just 0.03sec ahead of Gemma Spofforth (ENG), the other woman to have already raced in the 200m final an hour before with Britain’s world 100m champion, Emily Seebohm (AUS), taking shared bronze with Georgia Davies (WAL), in 28.33. Davies had withdrawn from the heats of the 200m in order to focus on the 50m and a chance at a medal. The plan paid dividends tonight.

Edington praised her teammates for the support they had given her, adding: “I couldn’t have been happier with that. To beat such tough competition is fantastic. It all comes down to the start in the 50m.”

Spofforth was unsure why she had not been at best in Delhi after having been on good form in Doha on camp the week before. The taper may have been a tad too long she ventured, while her desire to fight was not quite there. The messy calendar of 2010 may have taken her focus off a singular moment such as that which she will now work towards for the defense of her world crown in 2011 at Shanghai. On the Delhi dash, she said: “It was a very, very close one – I’m not happy coming second,” she said. “I have to learn to use my hand, not my head, in the last 10m. I’m just going to go back to training and figure out what I’m doing wrong. Gold is always what I go for.”

Davies was delighted: “I only sort of dreamt it. I didn’t believe it would happen until last night when I qualified from my heat. I’m a bit gutted I didn’t finish it right.” All about, folk were crying, she said: “My coach is thrilled, he’s almost in tears. It made me cry. All the hard work is paying off. Everyone’s really happy for me. My mum’s in the stand crying. I’ve not spoken to her yet. I can’t wait to see them and finally talk.” On sharing bronze with Seebohm, she noted: “She’s won numerous medals so I’m sure she wasn’t as bothered as me. It was probably more special for me.”

British Swimming Marks The Moving On Of Georgia Davies

British Swimming issued the following release:

Four-time European champion Georgia Davies has confirmed her retirement from swimming after a career that featured two Olympic Games and a quartet of World Championship appearances. 

Backstroke specialist Davies won at least three medals at each of the European Championships she attended, the pinnacle coming in Glasgow in 2018, when she sprinted to Women’s 50m Backstroke gold, as well as helping Britain’s Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay quartet to the title. There was also silver in the 100m Backstroke and bronze in the women’s medley relay.

A key part of multiple relay successes, the now-31-year-old laid the foundations for more than a decade at the top of the sport through her training at the Wales National Pool in Swansea, before a stint at the Loughborough National Centre.

On the World Championship stage, Georgia was a regular finalist over the sprint event of 50m Backstroke, with the most recent iteration in Gwangju two years ago seeing her place fourth in that final. The 2019 Championships did, though, bring a maiden World medal, as her backstroke leg contributed to a bronze for the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay team.

There was also semi-final appearances in consecutive Olympics. As well as competing in a successful swimming team at Rio 2016, Davies was part of the home aquatics cohort at London 2012.

For Team Wales, Davies was a crucial member of the swimming team at three Commonwealth Games. The highlight of those appearances was at Glasgow 2014, when she won the 50m Backstroke gold – but there was also a 100m Backstroke silver at those same Games, as well as three bronze medals along the way too. 

More recently, the Welsh star has played a key role in the International Swimming League for Energy Standard, contributing to their 2019 title win and the effort that saw them regain the crown over the weekend.

On her decision to hang up the goggles and race suit, Davies said: “As a young swimmer, I was always so competitive and determined – but I don’t think I could ever have imagined at that time that I would go on to represent Wales and Great Britain over 15 years, and win multiple international medals along the way.

“I’m so proud that I got to hear both the Welsh and British anthems play on the podium, as well as representing my country at a home Olympics. Those are truly special moments that not everyone gets to experience, and I feel so fortunate.

“Although swimming is mostly an individual sport, it’s impossible to do it alone. I think that the reason I’ve been able to have such a long career is down to how much I’ve enjoyed the journey with my teammates and friends. It’s also testament to the level of support I’ve had all along, from my family and from some amazing coaches and support staff. I just want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has helped me in some way, big or small.” 

British Swimming National Performance Director Chris Spice said: “Georgia has been an outstanding team member for British Swimming over the past decade, consistently playing her part in medal-winning relays and securing fine individual honours at every European Championship meet she competed in.

“On top of the medals at World, European and Commonwealth level, she will forever be a double Olympian – including featuring at a home Games in London 2012 – and she also held a European record in the 50m Backstroke. We hope she reflects with pride on everything she achieved for British Swimming, and we wish her all the best for the future.”

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