Australia's four-time Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus stunned the swimming world Thursday by announcing her retirement from the sport at age 25.
Titmus, who famously rose to global prominence at the Tokyo Games in 2021 where she triumphed over Katie Ledecky in an epic women's 400-meter race, had taken the full season off following last year's Olympics in Paris and was expected to make her return to the pool in the coming months. However, on Thursday morning, she took to Instagram to confirm she would no longer be representing Australia in the pool.
"I've made the decision to retire from competitive swimming," Titmus said. "A tough one. A really tough one, but one that I'm really happy with. I love swimming, but I guess I've taken this time away from the sport and realised some things in my life are just a bit more important to me now than swimming.
"My whole swimming career, I've been all or nothing, and that's how I've had to be to become the athlete I am. But I think a turning point for me, or a time when a switch was flicked, was in the lead-up to the Paris Games. I went through some health challenges which, quite frankly, really rocked me, mentally. It probably was the first time where I considered some things outside of swimming."
Titmus had underwent surgery to remove benign tumours on her ovary eight months out from the Olympics in Paris.
Her plan was to always take a hiatus after competition in the French capital had concluded, with the aim to ramp back up for an Olympic swansong at Los Angeles in 2028.
"I always intended to return," Titmus said. "I never thought Paris would be my last Olympic Games and knowing now what I know I wish I had have maybe enjoyed that last race a little bit more."
Titmus backed up her 400m freestyle triumph over Ledecky in Tokyo with gold in the same race in Paris last year. She also took out the 200m freestyle in Tokyo and anchored Australia to gold in the 4x200m relay last summer for her fourth Olympic title.
The Tasmanian retires having won 33 international medals, including eight Olympic medals (four gold, three silver and one bronze) and four world titles. She is also the current 200m freestyle world record holder.
"I feel so grateful that I've had these opportunities," Titmus said. "Swimming has taught me to not be afraid to chase your dreams. I probably shouldn't have become an Olympic champion. I come from the most southern place in this country. It's freezing. The pools aren't open outdoors for seven months of the year. And I was able to take it to the world. Anything is possible if you work for it."