The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is already building up immense hype, especially after the conclusion of the recent 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. Athletes and fans alike can’t wait for the summer Olympics to arrive, and preparations are in full swing from potential participants. That includes a six-time Olympic medalist who, despite being only six weeks out from giving birth, has returned to training.
That’s exactly what Abbey Weitzeil Jensen revealed via a post on her official Instagram page, ending a two-year break from competitive swimming.
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“I really thought Paris would be my last race ever…,” Weitzeil Jensen wrote on Instagram. “Since then: Got married, moved cities, bought a house, had a baby 🩵 And it all brought me back to the pool.”
“6 weeks postpartum and we’re back into it with a whole new approach and a whole new plan.. and I’m beyond excited for this wild ride! First morning practice in the books ✔️ Tell a friend to tell a friend 😏… I’m baaaaaaaackkkkkk!!!! 🐻”
The 28-year-old last competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she won the gold medal in the 4×100 medley relay. Then, a month later, Weitzeil released a TikTok video in which she announced she would be taking a year off from swimming to enjoy life and get married, among other things.
However, the two-time Olympic gold medalist further extended her hiatus in August 2025 after announcing that she and her husband, Michael Jensen, were having their first child. The couple has since had a baby boy, with Abbey Weitzeil Jensen posting a photo of her newborn son during the Winter Olympics.
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And now, a little over six weeks later, the 28-year-old is back in the pool and training for a chance to be a part of her fourth Olympics. And while she wouldn’t be a shoo-in after her long break, Weitzeil Jensen’s accolades speak for themselves, and she won’t be the first woman to return after having a child.
Abbey Weitzeil Jensen isn’t the first female swimmer to return after having a child
If anything, the 28-year-old has time on her side, and her past achievements speak for themselves. The American has achieved tremendous success as a swimmer, winning all six of her Olympic medals in 4×100 relay events. Not only that, but she also qualified for four US World Championships teams and won a total of eight medals over three years.
That came after she thrived at the collegiate level, where she became the first woman to break the 21-second barrier in the 50m free and held the American record for two years. And now, having returned to training, Abbey Weitzeil Jensen is preparing for the future while treading a path that many female swimmers have gone down before.
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Dana Torres is perhaps the most famous example, as she returned to action just three weeks after giving birth. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, at the age of 41, Torres made the cut for Team USA’s 2008 Olympic team and won three silver medals at the event.
Dana Vollmer followed a similar path to Weitzeil Jensen, returning to training just seven weeks after her son’s birth and then qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics. There, she won a bronze and a silver medal and anchored Team USA to gold in the 4×100 m medley relay, becoming the first American woman to win Olympic gold after giving birth.
And much like Abbey Weitzeil Jensen, Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström also recently gave birth in August 2025 and has already set her sights on a sixth Olympic appearance in 2028. That means Weitzeil Jensen has plenty of inspiration to draw from, though only time will tell whether she can qualify for her fourth Games at Los Angeles 2028.
