Former Olympic champion and advocate for clear sport Mack Horton has introduced his retirement from swimming only some months earlier than the Paris Summer Games that had been anticipated to be his swansong.

The 27-year-old Australian, who gained his solely particular person world gold within the 400 metres freestyle on the 2016 Rio Olympics, mentioned he not felt he was in a position to give his greatest to the game. “I dearly wanted to swim in Paris but the hunger wasn’t there,” Horton, who not too long ago bought married, mentioned in a Swimming Australia new launch. “I always want to give my all and I am not someone who just wants to make up the numbers, so this is the right time to step away.

“I’ve felt so privileged to signify Australia and put on the inexperienced and gold … I simply hope Australia thinks I did them proud.” Apart from his Olympic gold, Horton will be best remembered for refusing to stand on the podium next to Sun Yang after winning the silver medal behind the Chinese swimmer in the 400m freestyle at the 2019 Gwangju world championships.

Sun was under investigation for tampering with the doping process, charges which ultimately earned him a ban of four years and three months in 2021. Horton, who had previously called Sun a “drug cheat”, was subjected to a huge amount of abuse on social media for his stand and accused of hypocrisy when he did not similarly call out fellow Australians who were found guilty of doping offences.

“I’m so grateful for my time in swimming and in regard to legacy, I hope my crew mates and the game assume that I used to be in a position to assist them and the game not directly,” Horton added. “And I hope they only keep in mind me as Mack.”

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)