Australian swimming great Ariarne Titmus has announced her retirement from the sport at the age of 25.
A four-time Olympic gold medallist, Titmus shared the news on Thursday, saying, the decision was “tough” but “one that I’m really happy with.”
Having won eight Olympic medals in total, across the Paris and Tokyo Games, Titmus took an extended break from swimming following the Paris Olympics.
“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 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,” Titmus said, adding “that’s OK, but here we are.”
“I always intended to return. I never thought that Paris would be my last Olympic Games and knowing now that I know I wish I had maybe enjoyed that last race a little bit more,” she said in an announcement on social media.
“I guess having this 12 months away I’ve really had the chance to explore what life is like without swimming and that was always my intention.”
Titmus has been swimming since she was seven years old, with her family moving from Tasmania to Queensland when she was 14 to pursue her goals more seriously.
Over the course of her swimming career, her list of achievements has grown long.
Along with her Olympic medals, Titmus is the current 200m freestyle world record holder (1:52.23).
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she won the 400m freestyle in the race dubbed ‘the race of the century’, where she defeated the other two previous world record holders of this event, American all-time great Katie Ledecky and Canadian swimming prodigy Summer McIntosh.
In the lead up to the Paris Olympics, Titmus faced a health scare where she had surgery to remove a tumour from her ovary. She said this forced her to shift her perspective on “what’s most important” to her.
“It really rocked me, mentally, 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 and I’ve just been in this ruthless pursuit for my goals.”
“I’ve really had to look within and think about what’s most important to me,” she said.
“I’m excited for what’s next, I’m excited that I now have this opportunity to really delve into life and other things that I’m wanting to chase.”
Update Ariarne Titmus speaks about her decision to resign
Speaking in Brisbane on Friday following the announcement, Titmus confirmed that she “didn’t have that fire in the belly anymore”.
“I’m glad I’m leaving like this. I’m not leaving through injury or because my performance is slipping.”
She said she was expecting her coach to try and convince her to come back, but that he was happy and proud of her for making the decision.
“People forget that in swimming, you start really young. I first represented Australia when I was 14, and I’ve spent more than a decade representing this country.
“This is a decision about my life and I need to do what makes me happy.”
“I hope my strength in this decision can hopefully inspire other athletes to know that they can take breaks,” she said on taking a lengthy break after the Olympics.
“I’ve lived a different life for my first 25 years, and now I have an opportunity to live a normal life … to live a little bit and just relax.”
She said she’s looking forward to taking holidays and “swimming with sharks” for an upcoming television special.