Olympic medalist Mitch Larkin announces retirement ahead of the quadrennial Games in Paris 

Australian Swimmer, Mitch Larkin announced his retirement from professional swimming after an illustrious career spanning over two decades. The former Olympic gold medalist made this announcement weeks before the commencement of the quadrennial Games in Paris.

Mitch Larkin won several accolades in his career including two Olympic medals in Rio and two gold medals in the 2015 World Championship. He represented Australia in three consecutive Olympic Games from London 2012 to Tokyo 2020.

Larkin took to Instagram to share a detailed message announcing his retirement. The Australian swimmer expressed his sadness on the conclusion of his career which spanned over 20 years but was very optimistic and revealed that it was time to pursue new dreams.

"They say all great things must eventually come to an end. As much as I wish this wasn’t true, sadly it is time to call it a day to my swimming career, a chapter that consumed almost 25 years of my life," he wrote.

Moreover, he thanked all the people who were a part of his journey.

"To those of you who I ever raced, shared a lane, or was able to call a teammate, coach, or staff, THANK YOU for the best 25 years I could have ever dreamt of. To my parents and family THANK YOU for allowing me to dream and being my biggest supporters during the sport's most challenging times. To anyone who has ever supported the Dolphins THANK YOU," he added.

Furthermore, he extended best wishes to all the Australian athletes competing in Paris at the Olympics.

"To those of you in Paris living out their dreams best of luck and absolutely rip in, myself and the rest of this country are behind you. You have already done us proud!"

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Mitch Larkin at the Olympic Games

Mitch Larkin Swimming Australia National Event Camp - Media Opportunity | Getty Images

Mitch Larkin made his Olympic debut at the London Olympics in 2012. He participated in the Men's 200-meter Backstroke and finished 8th overall. The Australian Swimmer then marched onto the Rio Olympics which turned out to be the most successful campaign of his career.

He participated in three events - 100m and 200m backstroke and the 4 x 100m medley relay. Larkin finished second in the 200m backstroke and the 4 x 100m medley relay team won the bronze medal. The Australian swimmer finished fourth in the 100m backstroke concluding his campaign with two Olympic medals.

Mitch Larkin made his final Olympic appearance in Tokyo in three events - 100 Men's 100m Backstroke, Men's 200m Individual Medley, and Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay. However, he could not finish with a medal-winning performance at the games.