Thorpe said he hoped to be remembered for the manner of his retirement, his decision to quit on his own terms.
"It's a very dark question for me. Swimming has been a security blanket," he said. But, "I haven't balanced out my life. I realized I had to prioritize other things and had to let swimming take a backseat -- I'm looking at the next phase."
Thorpe and American Michael Phelps are acknowledged as the world stars of the sport.
Phelps acknowledged Thorpe as "an inspiration and a terrific champion."
"He elevated the worldwide interest in swimming and was a great ambassador to our sport," Phelps said in a statement. "I wish him the best of luck in the future."
Asked if he would stage a comeback for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the swimmer replied: "I never rule anything out, but it's not going to happen."
Thorpe considered his best Olympic performance his last one -- winning gold in the 400 at Athens "because of the state I was in before I swum it. I was really struggling and I was able to lift myself to get there."
And his proudest moment? His retirement speech yesterday.
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