Olympic swimmer Mack Horton makes surprising career swap after retirement

Olympic swimmer Mack Horton has revealed his next move after the shock announcement he would be retiring from the sport just six months out from the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 27-year-old, who took home gold in the 400m freestyle at the 2016 Rio Games, announced in a social media post on Sunday that he would be retiring ahead of this year’s Games.

“Grateful for all I’ve experienced, and even more so for those who’ve stood alongside me and made it possible,” he wrote in an Instagram post.

“I wouldn’t change a moment. Thank you swimming. Thank you Australia.”

Speaking with Today on Monday morning, Horton revealed that it was already his first day in his new career at an advertising agency.

“Just (wanting to) soak it up for what it is, going into advertising,” he told the hosts.

“You’ll be able to sell it,” host Karl Stefanovic quipped back.

Despite taking on one of the world’s biggest stages, Horton seemed a little nervous about his first day in his new job.

“We’ll see, today is my first day, so I don’t know,” he said. “If I make it through today, then maybe.”

Horton also won an Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo, seven world championship medals and eight Commonwealth Games medals, including four gold, during his career.

He captured global attention at the 2019 world championships in Gwangju after refusing to shake the hand of winner China’s Sun Yang after he was given a three-month ban for a doping violation in 2014.