Ariarne Titmus retires from competitive swimming

Ariarne Titmus announced on Thursday that she is retiring from competitive swimming, ending a career that produced multiple Olympic titles and world records. The 25 year old made the announcement in an Instagram post and accompanying interview video, saying the decision felt right after time away from the sport and that she wants to prioritise other parts of her life.

In her post, Titmus reflected on a career that began in childhood and ran through two Olympic Games. She wrote about retiring the competitive athlete she had been since age seven and described the choice as difficult but ultimately positive. "It's a tough one but one that I'm really happy with," she said in the post, adding that she plans to pursue new goals and spend more time with family and friends.

Titmus last competed at the Paris Olympics, where she added to a record that already included two gold medals from Tokyo. Across the Tokyo and Paris Games she won eight Olympic medals in total, including four golds, and helped Australia secure relay gold. She remains the world record holder in the 200 metre freestyle and has won multiple world championship titles and more than 30 international medals during her career.