Sports

Australia’s ‘Terminator’ Titmus makes shock retirement call from swimming

Published

2 weeks ago

October 16, 2025

Australian four-times Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus has retired from competitive swimming at the age of 25, ending a stellar career that featured one of the sport’s great rivalries with American Katie Ledecky.

Titmus confirmed her decision on Thursday, bowing out as one of Australia’s most decorated athletes with eight Olympic medals and four world titles.

The decision came as a shock to her nation, and the swimming world in general, as she had long planned a return to the pool to chase more Olympic glory at Los Angeles 2028.

“A tough one, a really tough one but one that I’m really happy with,” she said of her decision in a video on social media.

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“I love swimming, 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 pool and realised some things in my life that have always been important to me are just a little bit more important to me.”

Race of the century

Titmus won her third individual Olympic gold medal in a 400m freestyle final dubbed “the race of the century” at the Paris Games when she beat Ledecky and Canada’s Summer McIntosh to defend her title.

After Paris, she resolved to take a year off from competing and training to recharge, electing to skip the world championships in Singapore and instead cover the meet as a TV commentator.

But the return to the pool never materialised.

Titmus had undergone surgery to remove benign tumours from her ovaries eight months before Paris and she said the health issue had reminded her about having a life outside swimming.

“Delving more into those health challenges, I’ve had to think about what’s most important to me,” said Titmus, who retires as the 200 freestyle world record holder.

“Beyond swimming I’ve always had goals in my personal life.

“More than anything I’m excited for what’s next.”

The face of Australian swimming at the last two Olympics, Titmus’s retirement robs the national team of an inspirational leader who did much to restore the country to superpower status in the sport after a lean decade.

Born in Tasmania, Titmus moved to Queensland in her early teens to be trained by elite coach Dean Boxall.

Earning the nickname ‘Terminator’ after sweeping the 400 and 800 freestyle titles at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, she then announced herself to the swimming world by beating Ledecky in the 400 at the 2019 world championships.

Two years later, her swim to reel in Ledecky and snatch her 400 crown at the Tokyo Games became instant swimming folklore, along with Boxall’s manic celebrations in the stands.

The successful defence of her title in Paris made her the first Australian woman to go back to back in an individual swimming event since Dawn Fraser in the 1960s.

Titmus also bagged two silvers and a relay gold at Paris, including her runner-up finish behind Ledecky in a thrilling 800 freestyle final.

She always said Ledecky, the ‘GOAT’ of women’s swimming, made her a better rival, but as intense as the rivalry was there was only mutual admiration, hugs and kind words outside the pool.

The American great was among those congratulating Titmus on her career after the retirement announcement.

“An outstanding competitor, champion and person!” she wrote on Titmus’s Instagram feed.

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Sports

Babar Azam picked as Fakhar Zaman’s replacement for South Africa T20Is, says Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson

Published

9 hours ago

October 26, 2025

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After staying out of favour in the Twenty20 International format for Pakistan’s last five assignments, former skipper Babar Azam was picked for the upcoming three-match series against South Africa only after Fakhar Zaman’s decided to skip it, white-ball head coach Mike Hesson said on Sunday.

Since Hesson took over the role in June, Babar hasn’t featured for Pakistan in T20Is with the national side playing series against Bangladesh, the West Indies and a tri-nation series followed by the Asia Cup during that period.

Hesson had cited the right-hander’s low strike-rate as the reason for his absence. But Babar’s selection for the series, which starts in Rawalpindi on Tuesday raised suggested a change of mind for the coach before the New Zealander clarified it.

“I certainly endorse his selection,” Hesson said of Babar while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Pakistan’s training session at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. “We’ve sent him (Fakhar) back to first-class cricket after a conversation with him.

“He wanted to focus on improving his technique for one-day cricket, so we gave him a bit of a break from T20s. That’s created an opportunity for another top-order player.”

Hesson confirmed that Babar will take the number three spot instead of the batter’s preferred opening position, where he flourished for Pakistan for a substantial period before eventually falling in form and then out of favour.

The coach, however, has expectations from Babar to make a strong comeback and suggested he saw him in Pakistan’s plans for the T20 World Cup, which is set to be held in February-March next year in India and Sri Lanka.

“It’s a great chance to have Babar back,” said the coach. “He’s likely to bat at number three, a role I’m confident he’ll perform well in.

“It also gives our squad some flexibility ahead of the [T20] World Cup.”

‘Haris needs to work’

Babar’s unexpected return also coincided with the axing of wicket-keeper-batter Mohammad Haris from the Pakistan squad even after he received ample backing from the team management across Hesson’s tenure so far.

The 24-year-old proved his mettle with a century against Bangladesh back in June but gradually lost form amid frequent change of batting positions.

Hesson believed Haris needed to go back to the drawing board to fix his issues.

“Haris has had a number of opportunities recently, and he’d be the first to admit he hasn’t made the most of them,” he said. “But he’s still young and developing, so I wouldn’t say his career is over.

“He needs to work on his decision-making with the bat. Even in domestic T20s, he averages around 17, similar to international cricket, so that’s an area for improvement.”

Haris has been replaced by Usman Khan — who last year gave up on a career in the United Arab Emirates to play for Pakistan before being eventually dropped. He emerged out of nowhere and Hesson said he sees the right-hander, who keeps wickets as well, as a good player of spin.

“We see our wicket-keeper batting more through the middle rather than at the top, especially with spin being such a big factor in Sri Lanka during the World Cup. That’s why Usman has been given this opportunity.”

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Sports

FIFA announces new ASEAN Cup for Southeast Asia

Published

11 hours ago

October 26, 2025

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A new tournament, the FIFA ASEAN Cup, will be launched as part of an agreement between FIFA and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), aimed at boosting the development of football across the region.

The announcement was made during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, where FIFA President Gianni Infantino and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding.

The tournament will bring together national teams from all ASEAN member states in a format inspired by the Arab Cup, which was first organised by FIFA in 2021.

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“This will be a great addition to the regional football calendar,” Infantino said.

“Through the FIFA ASEAN Cup, we are uniting countries together, and this competition will be a huge success as it will help boost national team football in the ASEAN region and support the development of our sport across all of Southeast Asia.”

World football’s governing body will work with regional stakeholders including the Asian Football Confederation, the ASEAN Football Federation, and the relevant FIFA member associations to finalise the tournament’s format.

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