The Tasmanian swimmer, known as a household name after securing her third individual gold at the Paris Olympics last year, has revealed the heartfelt reason behind her decision to leave the sport. Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus surprised many in the sporting world by quitting swimming, citing love as her main motivation.
Ariarne initially announced her retirement nearly a month ago with a vague statement: "some things in my life that have always been important to me are just a little bit more important to me now than swimming." She has since explained that those things are her new partner, Mac Powell, and her family.
"In my personal life - and this was really the crux of the decision - you have to be quite a selfish person to be an athlete," Titmus told News Corp.
She reflected on the sacrifices she had made:
However, Ariarne said she no longer wanted to live a life where her family came second.
"I also met my partner right after the [Paris] Olympics. I wasn't willing to put that on the backburner."
The swimmer emphasized that her relationship played a significant role in her decision to quit.
Ariarne Titmus chose to retire from competitive swimming to focus on her family and new relationship, prioritizing personal happiness over her athletic career.
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