Canadian Breaststroker Gabe Mastromatteo Retires for ‘Health Issues’
Gabe Mastromatteo, Canada’s top male breaststroke for the last two Olympic cycles, announced a quasi-retirement on social media last week.
The 22-year-old cited, “compounding health issues” as a reason to step back from racing. He stopped short of a full retirement declaration, but is stepping back from the sport.
Mastromatteo made the announcement on social media.
Here’s how he couched the decision:
“I am done racing for now. The past few years I have dealt with compounding health issues. I have decided to take a step back from the sport to heal and get back to my full self.
“Is it retiring? I will always want to race the person beside me.”
Mastromatteo had a standout career at the University of Toronto, where he was named the Lois and Doug Mitchell Award winner in 2023, as the top U Sports athlete in any sport in the Canadian college system.
Mastromatteo qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 in the men’s 100 breaststroke, finishing 38th. He swam breaststroke on the men’s medley relay that finished seventh and on the mixed medley relay that landed 13th.
At Canadian Olympic Trials in 2024, Mastromatteo finished fourth in the 100 breast, with no Canadians achieving an A cut. His fastest time was a 1:01.26 in prelims. He was sixth in the 200 breast, again with no A cuts.
Finlay Knox swam breaststroke on the Canadian medley relay – both mixed and women’s – in Paris. A group of younger breaststrokers – Paris Olympian Apollo Hess, Brayden Taivassalo, and teenager Oliver Dawson, who set a Canadian age-group record in the 200 at Trials – have come up to challenge for spots at international meets.
Mastromatteo competed at the 2019 World Championships in the 200 breast.
