Australian Dual Olympic Breaststroker Jenna Strauch Calls Time on Spectacular International Career

DUAL Australian Olympian, Jenna Strauch has officially called time on her international swimming career today after the world-class breaststroker signed off on her six years with the Australian Dolphins.

And the Gold Coast-based Victorian departs the sport following a wild finale to the Paris 2024 Olympic program.

In the last event of the program at La Defense Arena, Strauch and her teammates in the women’s 4x100m medley – Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon and Mollie O’Callaghan, snared a silver medal and then celebrated by jumping in the pool while wearing their tracksuits.

Jenna Strauch cals time on her career. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photography

“I didn’t know it at the time, but that moment was a perfect end to my career,” Strauch said.

“It was a moment of pure joy and to be with some of my best friends … after winning a silver medal that I never dreamed of, well that was a perfect sign-off.”

She took up swimming primarily as a way of having fun with her friends, at the age of 11, with Victoria’s Bendigo East Swimming Club,

The daughter of former Carlton AFL player Dean Strauch found herself loving the competitive side of the sport.

In 2012 Jenna’s family made an incredible sacrifice for her to pursue her swimming dreams.

“My mum, Jane, and my brothers, Ryan and Tom, left our home in Bendigo to move to Melbourne so I could train with Melbourne Vicentre and attend Korowa Anglican Girls’ School,” Strauch said.

Medley Medallists: World Short Course Melbourne, Women’s 4x100m medley. Emma McKeon, Jenna Strauch, Kaylee McKeown, Meg Harris. Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Strauch quickly found herself competing at the World Junior Championships.But she then became ill from parasites and was forced to take well over a year out of the pool.

Recovering in 2015, Strauch made the move from Melbourne to train on the Gold Coast in 2016, with Richard Scarce at Bond University and later Miami Swimming Club and under his guidance she forced her way into the Dolphins side for the World Short Course Swimming titles in China in 2018.

A year later she secured her first open National title in the 200m breaststroke and was selected for the Gwangju World Swimming Championships in South Korea, where she made it through to the semi-finals.

Then at the Tokyo Olympic trials in Adelaide she swam “tough”, holding herself together after placing third in the 100m breaststroke, to dominate the 200m breaststroke, recording a personal best time. In her Olympic debut in Tokyo, she qualified as 10th fastest.

Gold Cap. Jenna Strauch. Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Her major breakthrough came at the Budapest World Swimming Championships in 2022, when she collected the first individual medal of her career, a silver in the 200m breaststroke.

She also claimed a silver for her role in the 4x100m medley relay. A few weeks later, she again featured on the podium, winning silver in the 200m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham behind reigning Olympic champion Tatjana Smith (nee Schoenmaker) of South Africa.

Strauch, who graduated from Bond University with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in 2019, was forced to withdraw from the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, with a knee injury.

Strauch, 28, finished her career with 13 international podiums and today Swimming Australia and Dolphins head coach Rohan Taylor paid tribute to the experienced athlete leader who will continue to sit on the athletes’ commission.

Taylor said: “I’ve known Jenna (Strauch) since she was a talented age group swimmer, and I saw the challenges she had to go through to remerge as the athlete we all know now.

Abreast of the times: Jenna Strauch. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr Swimming Australia

“On a personal note, I was thrilled to see her finish her career with an Olympic silver medal in Paris and celebrate the way she did with her close friends and teammates – it was just a wonderful moment to witness.”

The humble dual Olympian, who has a wedding planned in August, is set to make a splash in her post swimming life as a senior health consultant.“I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in swimming. I genuinely love the sport and I am so proud to be part of one of the most successful periods of swimming in Australia and I am proud of the people we have all become out of the pool as well.

“The medals and successes will be remembered but it’s the friendships, relationships, shared moments, and unwavering support in this sport that will stay with me forever. Swimming has shaped me in ways I never imagined, and I can only hope that my journey has left a meaningful mark on the sport and the people who have been part of it.”

CAREER SNAPSHOT

• Made her first senior Australian Dolphins Swim Team in 2018 for the World Short Course Championships in Hangzhou, China.• In 2019, Strauch secured her first national title in the women’s 200m breaststroke and was selected for the World Championships in South Korea, where she made it through to the semi-finals.• She claimed the 100m and 200m breaststroke titles at the 2019 Australian Short Course Championships• Pursuing her first Olympic team, Strauch competed at the 2021 Australian Swimming Trials in Adelaide. She dominated the 200m breaststroke, securing her spot on the team and placed third overall in the women’s 100m breaststroke.• 2022 was a breakout year for the breaststroker who claimed her first individual medal. Strauch swam a personal best time of 2:22.22 to place second in the women’s 200m breaststroke along with a personal best time in the 100m breaststroke of 1:06:16 at the 2022 Budapest World Championships and also won silver for her role in the women’s 4x100m medley relay.• Later in Birmingham, Strauch made her Commonwealth Games debut. She won silver in her signature event – the 200 breaststroke – and also qualified for the 50m and 100m breaststroke finals.• In Paris, Strauch became a dual Olympian and won her first Olympic medal as part of the women’s 4x100m medley relay which placed second. She qualified tenth overall in the women’s 200m breaststroke.