Ariarne Titmus, Olympic gold medallist, retires from swimming

Titmus, celebrated for beating US aquatics prima Katie Ledecky astatine the Paris Games, was expected to vie successful the 2028 Olympics.

Australian four-time Olympic golden medallist Ariarne Titmus has retired from competitory swimming astatine the property of 25, ending a stellar vocation that featured 1 of the sport’s large rivalries with American Katie Ledecky.

Titmus confirmed her determination connected Thursday, bowing retired arsenic 1 of Australia’s astir decorated athletes with 8 Olympic medals and 4 satellite titles.

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The determination came arsenic a daze to her nation, and the swimming satellite successful general, arsenic she had agelong planned a instrumentality to the excavation to pursuit much Olympic glory astatine the Los Angeles Games successful 2028.

“A pugnacious one, a truly pugnacious one, but 1 that I’m truly blessed with,” she said of her determination successful a video connected societal media.

“I emotion swimming, I’ve ever loved swimming. It’s been my passionateness since I was a small girl.

“But I conjecture I’ve taken this clip distant from the excavation and realised immoderate things successful my beingness that person ever been important to maine are conscionable a small spot much important to me.”

Ariarne Titmus won 4 golden medals, 3 metallic and 1 bronze during her Olympic vocation [File: Petr David Josek/AP Photo]

Race of the century

Titmus won her 3rd idiosyncratic Olympic golden medal successful a 400m freestyle last dubbed “the contention of the century” astatine the Paris Games erstwhile she bushed Ledecky and Canada’s Summer McIntosh to support her title.

After Paris, she resolved to instrumentality a twelvemonth disconnected from competing and grooming to recharge, electing to skip the satellite championships successful Singapore and alternatively screen the conscionable arsenic a TV commentator.

But the instrumentality to the excavation ne'er materialised.

Titmus had undergone country to region benign tumours from her ovaries 8 months earlier Paris, and she said the wellness contented had reminded her astir having a beingness extracurricular swimming.

“Delving much into those wellness challenges, I’ve had to deliberation astir what’s astir important to me,” said Titmus, who retires arsenic the 200m freestyle satellite grounds holder.

“Beyond swimming, I’ve ever had goals successful my idiosyncratic life.

“More than anything, I’m excited for what’s next.”

The look of Australian swimming astatine the past 2 Olympics, Titmus’s status robs the nationalist squad of an inspirational person who did overmuch to reconstruct the state to superpower presumption successful the athletics aft a thin decade.

Titmus, centre, won the 400m freestyle rubric astatine the 2024 Paris Olympics, beating American large Katie Ledecky, right, and rising superstar Summer McIntosh successful what was dubbed the ‘race of the century’ [File: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters]

An unthinkable career

Born successful Tasmania, Titmus moved to Queensland successful her aboriginal teens to beryllium trained by elite manager Dean Boxall.

Earning the nickname Terminator aft sweeping the 400m and 800m freestyle titles astatine the 2018 Commonwealth Games successful Gold Coast, she past announced herself to the swimming satellite by beating Ledecky successful the 400m freestyle astatine the 2019 World Championships.

Two years later, her aquatics to reel successful Ledecky and snatch her 400m freestyle crown astatine the Tokyo Games became instant swimming folklore, on with Boxall’s manic celebrations successful the stands.

The palmy defence of her rubric successful Paris made her the archetypal Australian pistillate to spell back-to-back successful an idiosyncratic swimming lawsuit since Dawn Fraser successful the 1960s.

Titmus besides bagged 2 silvers and a relay golden astatine Paris, including her runner-up decorativeness down Ledecky successful a thrilling 800m freestyle final.

She ever said Ledecky, the “GOAT” of women’s swimming, made her a amended rival, but arsenic aggravated arsenic the rivalry was, determination was lone communal admiration, hugs and benignant words extracurricular the pool.

The American large was among those congratulating Titmus connected her vocation aft the status announcement.

“An outstanding competitor, champion and person!” she wrote connected Titmus’s Instagram feed.