Caitlin McClatchey will take time to consider whether or not to carry on swimming after her seventh place in the final of the Olympic women’s 200m freestyle.
The Brixworth-raised star admitted before the race she had considered quitting the sport following the Commonwealth Games in Delhi two years ago.
While competing in the 2014 Commonwealth gathering in Glasgow remains a possibility for her, the 26-year-old is still considering her future, which could see her put to use her politics degree.
McClatchey conceded it is unlikely she will be involved in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, saying: “I don’t know if I could go another four years because I would be 30 then – it’s quite old for a swimmer.
“I know Dave Carry is doing really well and he is 30. It doesn’tmean that you’re not going to be good, but I have other aspirations as well rather than just swimming.
“Obviously, Glasgow is on the horizon in a couple of years, so I’ll have to see if I can do another two years of hard training.
“I wouldn’t do it unless I knew I could do something good. I would like to go on to Glasgow, and if not then maybe something political.”
McClatchey was satisfied with her performance in the final at London’s Aquatics Centre onTuesday evening, having won her heat and come second in the semi-finals.
Her final time of 1:57.60 was slightly slower than her time in the semis, and she said: “I would have liked to have gone a bit quicker than my semi-final time, but it was a world-class field.
“To even get in with a chance of a medal was going to take something huge – kind of miracle-worthy – so I just went out there and tried to enjoy myself.
“I was lifted by the crowd again, who were really fantastic, and just enjoyed the race.
“I tried something different and it really, really hurt down the last leg, but I just dug in deep and used the crowd, so it was great.”
Meanwhile, McClatchey was back in action yesterday as part of the GB 4x200m freestyle relay team, helping them to a fifth place finish.
