Australian four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus yesterday retired from competitive swimming at the age of 25, ending a stellar career that featured one of the sport’s great rivalries with American Katie Ledecky.
Titmus bowed out as one of Australia’s most decorated athletes with eight Olympic medals and four world titles.
The decision came as a shock to her nation, and the swimming world in general, as she had long planned a return to the pool to chase more Olympic glory at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
Photo: Reuters
“A tough one, a really tough one, but one that I’m really happy with,” she said of her decision in a video on social media.
“I love swimming, I’ve always loved swimming. It’s been my passion since I was a little girl, but I guess I’ve taken this time away from the pool and realized some things in my life that have always been important to me are just a little bit more important to me,” she said.
Titmus won her third individual Olympic gold medal in a 400m freestyle final dubbed “the race of the century” at the Paris Games, beating Ledecky and Canada’s Summer McIntosh to defend her title.
After Paris, she resolved to take a year off from competing and training to recharge, electing to skip the world championships in Singapore and instead cover the meet as a TV commentator.
However, the return to the pool never materialized.
Titmus had undergone surgery to remove benign tumors from her ovaries eight months before Paris, and she said the health issue had reminded her about having a life outside swimming.
“Delving more into those health challenges, I’ve had to think about what’s most important to me,” said Titmus, who retires as the 200 freestyle world record holder.
“I always intended to return,” she said. “I never thought that Paris would be my last Olympic Games, and knowing now what I know, I wish I had of maybe enjoyed that last race a little bit more.”
The face of Australian swimming at the past two Olympics, Titmus’ retirement robs the national team of an inspirational leader who did much to restore the country to superpower status in the sport after a lean decade.
Additional reporting by AFP
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