Home|Sports|Bastian retires from international swimmingSports
Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 1, 2023 108 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
Bahamian Olympian swimmer, one of The Bahamas’ best ever, has called it a day as it relates to his participation in international competition. Izaak Bastian has officially retired, making the announcement in a press statement.
The 22-year-old graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Athletic Training with Pre-Physical Therapy from Florida State University (FSU) in 2022. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in Fort Myers, Florida.
“I have found myself at a crossroads in my life, where emotions are both bittersweet and overwhelming,” Bastian said in the statement. “After much contemplation, I have made the difficult decision to step back from competitive swimming at the international level for the foreseeable future as I switch my focus toward pursuing my doctorate of physical therapy degree with an anticipated graduation in 2025.”
Bastian holds national records in long and short course meters (m). The breaststroke specialist holds the national record in three breast events long course – the 50m (27.60 seconds), the 100m (1:00.87), and the 200m breast (2:15.14). In short course, he holds the national records in the 50m breast (27.24) and 100m breast (59.61).
“The influence of the media cannot be underestimated, and I am deeply grateful for how you have responsibly reported on the sport, shedding light on the hard work, perseverance, and sacrifices required in the world of competitive swimming,” Bastian said. “I extend my gratitude to all the reporters, photographers, editors, producers, and everyone behind the scenes who worked tirelessly to bring more publicity to the sport and show the hard work of many of the athletes who I have the pleasure of calling my friends.”
Every athlete dreams of representing their country at the Olympics and Bastian did just that at the 2020 Olympic Games that was held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2021, because of the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that meet, he swam 2:17.41 in the 200m breast and then he swam a time of 1:01.87 in the 100m breast. His last national team appearance was at the 22nd Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, in 2022.
“To the public, your unwavering support has been a driving force behind my journey,” Bastian said. “Your cheers, encouragement, and support have lifted me through triumphs and challenges. Your belief in me has inspired my pursuit of excellence, and I can’t thank you enough. You all have made this journey extraordinary, and I am forever thankful.”
Apart from swimming at the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, Bastian represented the country twice at the FINA (International Swimming Federation), now World Aquatics, Swimming Championships, twice at the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, at the FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships, the Youth Olympic Games, the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games and multiple times at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships.
Bastian is one of the most decorated Bahamian swimmers from the CARIFTA Swimming Championships, coming away with numerous records and medals in the different age groups. His first CARIFTA was in 2013, which was held in Kingston, Jamaica. His final CARIFTA was in 2019 at the 34th edition of the event in Wildey, Barbados. He currently holds 11 CARIFTA records that include eight individual and three relay records.
The Bahamian also had a productive career at his alma mater, FSU, where he was the captain for the 2021-2022 season. He has the school’s 100-yard (51.84) and 200-yard (1:53.81) breast records. He was a part of the 200-yard medley relay team that swam a time of 1:23.15 for a school record. He also qualified twice for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Swimming and Diving Championships. He has six All-America honors.
Bastian said that he believes in the up-and-coming swimmers. He has not ruled out coming out of retirement to compete for The Bahamas after he gets his degree. Despite taking a break at that level, he said the chances of returning home to swim at nationals or a weekend meet is high.