New Delhi, Oct. 16 -- The Olympic champion known affectionately as "Arnie" chose to terminate her elite swimming career immediately, an ending that caught her audience completely by surprise.

Ariarne Titmus, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, had been widely expected to return to competitive swimming following a break in the wake of the Paris Games and train for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Instead, she posted a video on Instagram on Thursday announcing her retirement at the age of 25.

"I've always loved swimming, it's been my passion since I was a little girl, but I guess I've taken this time away from the sport and realized some things in my life that have always been important to me are just a little bit more important to me no...