Ariarne Titmus, the Australian swimmer who reached the top of the podium at two Olympic Games, said Thursday that she is retiring from competitive swimming to focus on other aspects of her life that are "more important" now than swimming.
Titmus, 25, won two gold medals and two silver medals at last year's Olympics in Paris. That was just a small improvement on her appearance at the Tokyo Games, where she won two gold, a silver and a bronze medal.
Titmus said in a video on Instagram that spending the last year away from competition helped her come to her decision.
"I think a turning point for me or a time when the flip switched for me was in the lead-up to the Paris Games. I went through some health challenges, which — quite frankly — really rocked me mentally," Titmus said. "It probably was the first time where I considered some things outside of swimming."
She added that she had spent years in a "ruthless pursuit" of her goals but that health challenges forced her to "look within" regarding her priorities.
"I'm excited that I have this opportunity to delve into life and other things that I've wanted to chase and look forward to," Titmus said.
Titmus called her first win in Tokyo against American swimming legend Katie Ledecky the greatest achievement of her career. She credited Ledecky for setting a bar that she was happy to chase.
"There's nothing like the first one," Titmus said. "And to achieve your lifelong goal in an instant is something that's really hard to replicate."
Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in history, commented on Titmus' post to congratulate her on retirement. She described Titmus as "an outstanding competitor, champion and person."
The caption on Titmus' video announcement was written as a letter to her 7-year-old self, telling her that the dreams she had all came true.
"You’ve just turned 25 and the time feels right to step away from swimming," Titmus wrote. "The pursuit was unrelenting and you gave it every skerrick of yourself. You walk away knowing every stone was turned, no regrets. You’re fulfilled, content and happy."
("Skerrick" is a word commonly used in Australia for a fragment or a small piece of something.)
She added that the road ahead is exciting, calling it "the chance to wholeheartedly put yourself, not your sport first."
