Dan Jervis is hanging up his goggles, but he’s doing it with pride, joy, and zero regrets. The 28-year-old Welsh swimmer, a double Olympian and multiple-time Commonwealth medalist, is saying goodbye to competitive swimming after the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he was the only openly gay male swimmer in the men’s competition—and one of just 20 out male athletes across the entire Games.
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Jervis first introduced himself to the world in a new light back in 2022, when he publicly came out as gay on The Jack Murley Sports Show. Just before the Commonwealth Games, he made the bold choice to fully embrace his identity, saying:
“I didn’t know any out gay swimmers when I was younger. And I needed that.”
From that moment on, Jervis became a beacon of visibility, showing young athletes that they can be exactly who they were born to be—in and out of the pool.
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Competing in Tokyo 2020, Jervis secured a fifth-place finish, and at Paris 2024, he placed 15th. Though his Olympic results didn’t bring home a medal, he achieved something much bigger: he swam for himself, for his team, for his community—and for 10-year-old Dan.
“I can walk away from this career now with my head held high. I have no regrets. I loved every minute of it.”
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So, what’s next? Traveling the world and taking on an Ironman triathlon! Because, of course, retirement doesn’t mean slowing down—it just means finding new adventures to dive into.
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Dan Jervis, thank you for making waves in and out of the water.