Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, a world record holder and a four-time Olympic champion, has announced her retirement from competition at 25 years old.
Titmus took the full season off after winning a pair of gold medals at the Paris Games, but she was expected back in the pool this year.
Famously, Titmus defeated decorated American distance swimmer Katie Ledecky at the Tokyo Games in the 400-meter freestyle to take one of her two gold medals in her first Olympics. She then won the event in Paris, beating not only Ledecky but also Canadian star Summer McIntosh.
Titmus described her decision to walk away as “a really tough one, but one that I’m really happy with” in an Instagram video unpacking her retirement.
Titmus explained that a switch flipped in the lead-up to 2024 Paris Olympics. It was at that time she had surgery to remove benign tumors from an ovary.
“I went through some health challenges, which, quite frankly, really rocked me mentally,” she said in the video.
“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.”
Titmus, who has eight Olympic medals and four world titles in her name, set the world record in the 200-meter freestyle at 1:52.23 during the 2024 Australian Olympic Trials.
Titmus was also a part of Australia’s world-record 4×200 meter freestyle relay team. Their time of 7:37.50 from the 2023 World Championships still stands.
Although Titmus said in her Instagram video that it’s almost like her life is “restarting at 25 years old,” she’s excited for the opportunities ahead, including those in the broadcast space, and to give back to the sport and young athletes who are trying to make it like she did.
“I’ve had to reassess my goals, but I’m really fortunate that I do have goals outside of swimming,” she said. “I guess throughout my swimming career, I’ve always thought of this moment and what will happen when it comes, and I’ve never wanted to be an athlete that’s unsure of what I want to do, and, fortunately, I know the path that I want to go down.”