Five-times Olympic champion Franklin retires at 23
ByReuters
Updated 19/12/2018 at 18:17 GMT
American swimmer Missy Franklin announced her retirement on Wednesday at the age of 23, ending a successful career in which she won five Olympic gold medals.
DATE IMPORTED:August 3, 2013Gold medallist Missy Franklin of the U.S. sings her national anthem at the the women's 200m backstroke victory ceremony during the World Swimming Championships at the Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona
Image credit: Reuters
She was one of the stars of the 2012 London Games, where as a 17-year-old she won the 100 and 200 metres backstroke events, the latter in a world-record time.
Franklin was also part of two victorious US relay teams.
She never improved her personal best times from London, but made the US team for the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she picked up another relay gold after swimming in the heats.
"This was perhaps the hardest letter I’ve ever had to write ... Today, I announce my retirement from competitive swimming," Franklin wrote on Twitter.
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