Australia's 'Terminator' Titmus makes shock retirement call

VIDEO SHOWS: FILE FOOTAGE OF AUSTRALIAN SWIMMER ARIARNE TITMUS WITH OLYMPIC / STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF ARIARNE TITMUS AT TOKYO OLYMPICS RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: TOKYO, JAPAN (FILE – JULY 31, 2021) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 1. STILL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING AUSTRALIAN SWIMMER ARIARNE TITMUS SWIMMING IN THE 800 METRE FREESTYLE  2. STILL PHOTOGRAPH  SHOWING TITMUS IN POOL AFTER FINISHING 800 METRE FREESTYLE  3. STILL PHOTOGRAPH  SHOWING TITMUS WITH SILVER MEDAL  TOKYO, JAPAN (FILE – JULY 26, 2021) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 4. STILL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING TITMUS AND AMERICAN SWIMMER KATIE LEDECKY FINISHING IN 400 METRE FREESTYLE  5. STILL PHOTOGRAPH  SHOWING TITMUS WITH GOLD, LEDECKY WITH SILVER, AND BINGJIE LI OF CHINA WITH BRONZE  TOKYO, JAPAN (FILE – JULY 31, 2021) (REUTERS – Access all) 6. TWO GOLD MEDALS AND ONE SILVER MEDAL IN HANDS OF TITMUS 7. TITMUS LIFTING MEDALS UP 8. MEDALS 9. VARIOUS OF TITMUS HOLDING MEDALS 10. TITMUS POSING FOR SELFIE 11. VARIOUS OF TITMUS PUTTING AWAY MEDALS STORY: Australian four-times Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus has retired from competitive swimming at the age of 25, ending a stellar career that featured one of the sport's great rivalries with American Katie Ledecky. Titmus confirmed her decision on Thursday (October 16), bowing out as one of Australia's most decorated athletes with eight Olympic medals and four world titles. The decision came as a shock to her nation, and the swimming world in general, as she had long planned a return to the pool to chase more Olympic glory at Los Angeles 2028. Titmus won her third individual Olympic gold medal in a 400m freestyle final dubbed "the race of the century" at the Paris Games when she beat Ledecky and Canada's Summer McIntosh to defend her title. After Paris, she resolved to take a year off from competing and training to recharge, electing to skip the world championships in Singapore and instead cover the meet as a TV commentator. But the return to the pool never materialised. Titmus had undergone surgery to remove benign tumours from her ovaries eight months before Paris and she said the health issue had reminded her about having a life outside swimming. Born in Tasmania, Titmus moved to Queensland in her early teens to be trained by elite coach Dean Boxall. Earning the nickname 'Terminator' after sweeping the 400 and 800 freestyle titles at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, she then announced herself to the swimming world by beating Ledecky in the 400 at the 2019 world championships. (Production: Bhagya Ayyavoo)

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