Tomoe Zenimoto Hvas slutter med svømming

Langslagssjef Petter Løvberg sier følgende om beskjeden:

- Det er naturligvis en trist beskjed at Tomoe ønsker å legge opp. Tomoe er kanskje et av landslagets største svømmebegavelser i forhold til teknikk og følelsen i vann og han kunne ha en stor fremtid i bassenget. Dessverre har han vært plaget av skader og sykdom og det tæret på motivasjonen. Det er forståelig at han nå ønsker å bruke mere tid på andre ting som famille og studier. Han har gitt mye til den kultur vi ønsker å bygge opp i norsk svømming og han har fantastiske egenskaper. Tomoe er fortsatt ung og motivasjon er ikke statisk, så ønsker han på et senere tidspunkt å komme tilbake er døren alltid åpen.

Under kan dere lese Tomoes egen begrunnelse for å legge opp (på engelsk):

Resignation Letter

I am sad to inform everyone that my career as a professional swimmer has come to an end.

The year of 2022 has been plagued by sickness and misfortune. Ultimately this has put my motivation to the test numerous times and made me think about the present and the future. My time away from the pool has given me a lot of space to reflect and search for what I want to do and who I want to be.

Throughout my swimming career I have always struggled with my identity as a person, and although my love for swimming is unquestionable, I have always dwelled over if swimming was the right path for me.

Having now been away from swimming for such a long time, these questions of identity and who I want to be have come to the forefront of my mind. Through extensive and long reflections I have come to the conclusion that I wish to discover who I am outside of sports.

In my swimming career I have been fortunate to have found a place I can call home; Bærumsvømmerne. I have been blessed with having some of the most dedicated and committed coaches in Norway, who through their excellence, have granted me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams. I have also been blessed with amazing teammates and staff members from Bærumsvømmerne, who have always stood up for me, helped me, and been there for me when I needed them.

I would like to give a special thanks from the depth of my heart to the following people;

- All the amazing coaches I have worked with, Håkon Ikonomou, Christian Tessner and especially Sondre Solberg, who brought out the best in me, both as a person and as a swimmer. I am eternally grateful for the relentless dedication Sondre has given me. There are many other coaches I have not named here, but who have contributed enormously to my growth, and I thank you all.

- The people at Bærumsvømmerne and the parents who have been supporting me and the club for all these amazing years that I have been swimming.

- All my teammates and everyone who I have trained with who have constantly challenged me into making me a better swimmer and person. There are far too many to name but I hope that my appreciation is not understated.

- The staff at Olympiatoppen. I would like to give out a special thanks to Morten Bråten and Sindre Madsgård for the excellent work in perfecting me as an athlete. Their keen eye to detail and perfection have helped elevate my swimming to great heights. I would also like to thank the entire health staff at OLT for their kindness and willingness to always take care of me.

- All the current and past members of the Norwegian national team. A great thanks to Petter Løvberg who has been the national team head coach for as long as I have been swimming, along with all the other staff and members

- The members of Norges Svømmeforbund for their outstanding support and contribution to my growth.

All of the people above and many more have given me the opportunity to be inspired and to inspire others. I feel privileged that I have been in a position to compete at the highest level, and would like again to thank all the people who have been a part of the great journey. Norwegian swimming will forever be in my heart.

Tomoe Hvas