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Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus has announced her status from elite swimming successful a societal media station that took Australian sports fans by surprise.
The 25-year-old Titmus, a four-time Olympic golden medallist, had been wide expected to instrumentality to competitory swimming pursuing a interruption successful the aftermath of the Paris Games and bid for the Los Angeles Olympics successful 2028.
“I’ve ever loved swimming; it’s been my passionateness since I was a small girl, but I conjecture I’ve taken this clip distant from the athletics and realised immoderate things successful my beingness that person ever been important to maine are conscionable a small spot much important to maine present than swimming,” Titmus said successful a video posted Thursday (October 16, 2025) connected Instagram.
“And that’s OK.” At the Paris Olympics past year, Titmus won the 400-metre freestyle to support her rubric successful a highly hyped contention against American large Katie Ledecky and Canada’s Summer McIntosh.
All 3 had held the satellite grounds successful the lawsuit astatine immoderate stage. In 2023, Titmus had country to region 2 benign ovarian tumors but returned to the highest level quickly.
“Knowing present what I know, I privation possibly I enjoyed that past contention a small spot more,” she said.
“But I conjecture having this 12 months away, I’ve had the accidental to research what beingness is similar without swimming — and that was ever my volition — but I deliberation a turning constituent for maine was successful the lead-up to the Paris Games. I went done immoderate wellness challenges which, rather frankly, truly rocked me.”
Titmus retires arsenic the world-record holder successful the 200 freestyle and with 33 planetary medals, including 4 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze Olympic golden medals and 4 satellite titles.
She initially posted the quality arsenic a missive to her seven-year-old self.
“Today you discontinue from competitory swimming. 18 years you spent successful the excavation competing. 10 of those representing your country. You went to 2 Olympic Games and, adjacent better, you won!!!” she wrote. “The dreams you had, they each came true. You achieved much than you ever thought you were susceptible of and you should beryllium truthful proud.”
Australian Olympic Committee president Ian Chesterman praised Titmus for mounting “amazing standards for the athletics and those that follow.”
“Ariarne has ever conducted herself truthful good retired of the excavation arsenic good arsenic successful the pool," Chesterman added successful a statement. “Someone who you speech astir being an implicit champion, idiosyncratic who has shown each the traits that you privation successful a young jock and who has achieved the eventual success.”
In an earlier societal media post, Swimming Australia congratulated Titmus for her “unwavering dedication to swimming successful Australia and for inspiring america each astir the world.”
