Australia’s four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus has retired from all ranges of swimming.
Swimming Australia confirmed the 25-year-old’s retirement on Thursday morning.
Titmus completed her profession as one of many best distance swimmers of all time, having gained eight Olympic medals throughout the Paris and Tokyo Video games.
Coached by Dean Boxall, Titmus additionally claimed 9 world championship medals, together with 4 gold.
She took an prolonged break from swimming following the Paris Olympics, earlier than deciding to retire.
“It is a robust one however one which I am actually proud of,” Titmus mentioned in an Instagram submit.
“I’ve all the time liked swimming, it has been my ardour since I used to be a bit lady.
“However I assume I’ve taken this time away from the game and realised some issues in my life which have all the time been vital to me are just a bit bit extra vital to me now than swimming.
“That is OK, however right here we’re.”
Ariarne Titmus represented Australia at two Olympics. (Getty Photos: John Walton/PA Photos)
Titmus efficiently defended her Olympic title within the girls’s 400 metres freestyle on the Paris Olympics.
She grew to become the primary Australian feminine athlete since Daybreak Fraser in 1964 to win back-to-back gold medals in the identical occasion.
Within the Tokyo 400m freestyle last, Titmus defeated legendary American Katie Ledecky, who was defending champion and the world-record holder on the time.
4 years later, she beat dwelling rising Canadian star Summer time McIntosh and Ledecky within the last, a showdown dubbed the “race of the century”.
Ariarne Titmus efficiently defended her Olympic title within the girls’s 400m freestyle on the Paris Video games. (Reuters: Grace Hollars)
Titmus mentioned retirement was not on her thoughts when she competed in Paris final yr.
“I all the time meant to return. I by no means thought Paris can be my final Olympic Video games,” she mentioned.
“Understanding what I do know now, possibly I want I had loved that final race a bit bit extra.
“I assume in these 12 months I have been capable of discover what life is like exterior of swimming.”
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Titmus’s haul of Olympic gold contains the ladies’s 200m freestyle on the Tokyo Video games and the 4x200m freestyle in Paris.
She got here near finishing the 200m-400m freestyle double in Paris, ending second to fellow Australian and coaching companion, Mollie O’Callaghan, within the shorter distance.
Titmus was twice Olympic silver medallist within the 800m freestyle, with Ledecky profitable on each events.
Titmus stays world-record holder
Titmus additionally set world information within the 200m and 400m freestyle, together with her time within the former — one minute and 52.23 seconds — nonetheless standing.
Swimming the time on the 2024 Australian Olympic trials in Brisbane, she grew to become the primary Australian girl since Shane Gould in 1972 to concurrently maintain the 200m and 400m freestyle world information.
She twice broke the 400m freestyle world document throughout her profession, together with her private finest of three:55.38 bettered by McIntosh (3:54.18) in June this yr.
Ariarne Titmus (left) loved a fierce however pleasant rivalry with Katie Ledecky. (Getty Photos: Quinn Rooney)
The Brisbane-based swimmer — who grew up in Tasmania — was a nominee for the 2025 Laureus World Comeback of the Yr award for her performances on the Paris Olympics after she recovered from surgical procedure to take away an ovarian tumour.
She described the well being scare as a “turning level”, forcing her to re-assess her life exterior the pool.
“It in all probability was the primary time the place I thought of some issues exterior of swimming,” Titmus mentioned.
“Delving extra into these well being challenges, I’ve actually needed to look inside and take into consideration what’s most vital to me and past swimming.
“I’ve all the time had targets in my private life, however swimming has all the time been most vital up till this level and I’ve simply realised that these targets and what I need in my future is now extra vital to me.
“However greater than something, I am excited for what’s subsequent.”
Titmus’s success prolonged to the Commonwealth Video games, the place she claimed seven gold medals and a silver on the Birmingham (2022) and Gold Coast (2018) editions.
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