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Olympic champion Trickett retires
Source: Agencies |
December 15, 2009, Tuesday
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TRIPLE Olympic champion Libby Trickett retired yesterday at the age of 24, giving up her chance of competing at the 2012 London Games.
Trickett's retirement had been signalled after she took a break from training following this year's Rome world championships, where she failed to win a gold medal.
"I sincerely believe I left at a great point for me," Trickett told reporters in Sydney. "I don't feel like I was getting slower and don't feel like I was getting any less competitive at all.
"I'm retiring on my own terms. I'm not being forced to."
The Australian, who had won a silver and two bronze medals in Rome and refused to use the new polyurethane swimsuits that will be outlawed from next year, considered quitting immediately following the championships.
She decided, however, to take some time away from the pool to make a considered decision before giving up the chance to win Olympic gold in her favorite 100 meters freestyle in London.
"Ultimately if I was to swim on that would probably be the only reason for me to swim on," the former world record holder and world champion in the event added.
"I can't justify doing that for four years and then maybe walking away and not having achieved that. "I've asked myself that question, 'Am I okay with not winning an Olympic gold medal in the 100m freestyle?'
"And the answer was 'I am okay with that'. When you say that, that means you're ready to move on."
Trickett won three Olympic gold medals, one at Athens in 2004 and two more at Beijing last year, as well as eight world championship gold medals, including a record five titles in Melbourne in 2007.
Trickett, who raced under her maiden name of Lenton before marrying Luke Trickett in 2007, had lost most of her world records since the introduction of the new bodysuits.
Trickett's retirement had been signalled after she took a break from training following this year's Rome world championships, where she failed to win a gold medal.
"I sincerely believe I left at a great point for me," Trickett told reporters in Sydney. "I don't feel like I was getting slower and don't feel like I was getting any less competitive at all.
"I'm retiring on my own terms. I'm not being forced to."
The Australian, who had won a silver and two bronze medals in Rome and refused to use the new polyurethane swimsuits that will be outlawed from next year, considered quitting immediately following the championships.
She decided, however, to take some time away from the pool to make a considered decision before giving up the chance to win Olympic gold in her favorite 100 meters freestyle in London.
"Ultimately if I was to swim on that would probably be the only reason for me to swim on," the former world record holder and world champion in the event added.
"I can't justify doing that for four years and then maybe walking away and not having achieved that. "I've asked myself that question, 'Am I okay with not winning an Olympic gold medal in the 100m freestyle?'
"And the answer was 'I am okay with that'. When you say that, that means you're ready to move on."
Trickett won three Olympic gold medals, one at Athens in 2004 and two more at Beijing last year, as well as eight world championship gold medals, including a record five titles in Melbourne in 2007.
Trickett, who raced under her maiden name of Lenton before marrying Luke Trickett in 2007, had lost most of her world records since the introduction of the new bodysuits.
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