BENTZ Gunnar

General
RETIREMENT PLANS
Speaking in early 2020 he expressed his wish to retire that year following the Olympic Games in Tokyo. "I'm feeling every little ache and pain. I feel old, I really do. After this [2020] summer, I'm gonna be done. My swimming career's over." The postponement of the Games meant he needed to decide if he wanted to continue the sport for another year. "A lot of people had to call it quits and hang up that Speedo. I had plenty of time to really go over every single aspect of what I want to do, and I realised, in 20-30 years, I'm gonna regret not swimming. I'm postponing real life for another year. That's not so bad. I get to hang out with my friends and train for, possibly, another Olympics. So I'm excited to do that." (11alive.com, 24 Jul 2020)

SUSPENSION
In September 2016 he was banned from the national team for four months by USA Swimming and the United States Olympic Committee [USOC] for breaching both organisations' code of conduct at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. He and teammates Jimmy Feigen, Ryan Lochte and Jack Conger were involved in an incident at a petrol station in the city during a night out. "I fully accept the punishment for my involvement in this matter. I have learned a valuable life lesson." (bbc.com, 08 Sep 2016; bbc.com, 21 Aug 2016; Twitter profile, 09 Sep 2016)