Dana Vollmer: Five-time Olympic swimming champion to retire

American five-time Olympic champion Dana Vollmer will retire after this weekend’s US national championships.

The 31-year-old set a then-world record on her way to winning 100m butterfly gold at London 2012, while her four other titles came in relay events.

Vollmer won seven Olympic medals in total, including one of each colour at Rio 2016, just 18 months after giving birth to her first son.

“Other parts of my life are asking for my time and attention,” she said.

Vollmer – also a four-time world champion – had heart surgery as a teenager and revealed she had struggled with body image, anxiety and depression throughout her career, as well as a multitude of injuries.

But she added she was “proud” she had never walked away from the sport when faced with setbacks.

“This is not letting go of a dream; it’s having the ambition to start a new one,” she said in an open letter,.

“While it is sad to see this chapter of my life coming to a close, I do it with a full heart.”

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