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≡ TITMUS RETIRES ≡
Writing on Instagram, Australian distance superstar and four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus announced Wednesday (U.S. time) that she was retiring. The post:
“Dear seven year old Ariarne,
“Today you retire from competitive swimming. 18 years you spent in the pool competing. 10 of those representing your country. You went to two Olympic Games and ever better, you won!!!
“The dreams you had.. they all came true. The friends you’ve made.. they’re for life. You achieved more than you ever thought you were capable of and you should be so proud.
“Along the journey you’ve met some incredible people who have helped all the way. Your coaches (one very special one in particular), your support staff, team mates, competitors, sponsors, friends, family and fans. Make sure you thank them.
“You do pack up and move away from your home at 14, what a tough decision it was to leave. Mum and Dad saw the glimmer in your eye and sacrificed everything to move. Without them, alongside Mia- you wouldn’t be here today.
“You’ve just turned 25 and the time feels right to step away from swimming. The pursuit was unrelenting and you gave it every skerrick [every tiny bit] of yourself. You walk away knowing every stone was turned, no regrets. You’re fulfilled, content and happy.
“What’s ahead for you is exciting. New goals, more time with the people you love most and the chance to wholeheartedly put yourself, not your sport first.
“Make sure you enjoy every moment, big or small. Trust me, time flies.”
She said in a companion video interview that “I always intended to return. I never thought that Paris would be my last Olympic Games. Knowing now what I know, I wish I had’ve maybe enjoyed that last race a little bit more.
“But I guess having this 12 months away, I really had the chance to explore what life is like without swimming and that was always my intention, but I think a turning point for me, or a time when a switch was flicked, in the lead-up to the Paris Games, I went through some health challenges which, quite frankly, really rocked me, mentally. It probably was the first time where I considered some things outside of swimming.”
Titmus noted that she had to be all in to beat American rival Katie Ledecky, in Tokyo and in Paris in the 400 m Freestyle.
“Beyond swimming, I’ve always had goals on my personal life, but swimming’s always been most important, up until this point, and I’ve just realized that those goals and what I want in my future is now more important to me. But more than anything, I’m excited for what’s next.”
She paid tribute to Ledecky, saying that without racing her, she wouldn’t have been the athlete she became. Titmus called her decision, “a tough one, a really tough one, but one that I’m really happy with.”
She finishes with four Olympic golds, in the Tokyo 2020 200-400 m Freestyles and the Paris 400 m Free and 4×200 m Free Relay. She won eight Olympic medals in all (4-3-1) and nine World Championships medals, including the 400 m Free in 2019 and 2023.
Titmus set world records in the 400 m Free (3:56.40 in 2022 and 3:55.38 in 2023) and the 200 m Free (1:52.23) in 2024. The 200 m mark still stands.
This is a shocker, no doubt, but Titmus has left an indelible mark on the sport, as Ledecky continues and newcomers such as Summer McIntosh (CAN) are moving up as the stars from Paris and for 2028 in Los Angeles.
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