Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus announced her immediate retirement from swimming on Thursday, calling it a \"really tough\" decision as she was lauded as \"a living legend\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 25-year-old Australian had been on an extended break since the Paris Olympics but had previously said she planned to return for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"A tough one, a really tough one, but one that I'm really happy with,\" she said on Instagram. \"I've always loved swimming, it's been my passion since I was a little girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"But I guess I've taken this time away from the sport and realised some things in my life that have always been important to me are just a little bit more important to me now than swimming, and that's okay.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titmus won the 400m freestyle titles at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, beating American great Katie Ledecky each time in what were dubbed the \"races of the century\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In doing so, she became the first Australian swimmer since Dawn Fraser in 1964 to clinch back-to-back gold medals in the same event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Known as \"the Terminator\", Titmus lost her 400m world record to Canadian phenomenon Summer McIntosh earlier this year, but remains the fastest women ever over 200m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"An outstanding competitor, champion and person! Congratulations @ariarnetitmus,\" Ledecky said in reacting to her retirement, while McIntosh said: \"You will be missed.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"I always intended to return,\" said Titmus. \"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.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before Paris, Titmus underwent surgery to remove a benign ovarian tumour and said the health scare \"really rocked me\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"A time came for me when a switch was flicked, it was in the lead up to the Paris Games. I went through some health challenges, which, quite frankly, really rocked me mentally,\" she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It probably was the first time where I considered some things outside of swimming. My whole swimming career, I've been all or nothing, and that's how I've had to be to become the athlete that I am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"But I think delving more into those health challenges, I've really had to look within and think about what's most important to me and beyond swimming.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titmus hangs up her goggles with a haul of 33 international medals, including eight at the Olympics, nine from world championships and eight at the Commonwealth Games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"You are incredible. Privileged to have witnessed a living legend in the sport,\" said fellow Australian and five-time Olympic gold medallist Kaylee McKeown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mollie O'Callaghan, the Olympic 200m freestyle champion, said she was grateful to train alongside her while sprint king Kyle Chalmers added: \"I'm so proud of you. You are a legend in and out of the pool.\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus announced her immediate retirement from swimming on Thursday, calling it a \"really tough\" decision as she was lauded as \"a living legend\". The 25-year-old Australian had been on an extended break since the Paris Olympics but had previously said she planned to return for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":30585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n