Diver Matthew Mitcham announces retirement

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief

Published: January 29 2016 | 19:22

Last updated: January 29 2016 | 19:33

Olympic gold medallist Matthew Mitcham announces that he has called time on his diving career at the age of 27.

Matthew Mitcham has called time on his diving career at the age of 27.

The Australian, who holds the record for the single biggest diving score in Olympic history for his gold-medal performance in Beijing in 2008, announced his decision in a post on his Instagram page.

It's official: I have decided to finally retire after a looooooooong but very rewarding diving career. So much gratitude to my long suffering partner Lachlan, Chava, NSWIS, DA, family, friends and all you friends I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet! I remember the support I got when I came out before my Olympic debut in 2008 and it helped me to keep sharing my story just as candidly. So, it's Peace Out to my diving career and a big Heeeeeeey to the rest of my media and entertainment and everything else career! Thank you to everyone for sharing in my [dirty word]... #journey hahaha Xx

A photo posted by Matt(hew) Mitcham (@matthewmitcham88) on Jan 27, 2016 at 4:50pm PST

In a subsequent interview with the ABC, Mitcham admitted that cumulative injuries had led to his decision.

"The older you get you don't tend to recover from injuries, you just accumulate them and I was doing pretty well physically," he explained.

"But again, there wasn't enough of an incentive for me in diving to push through all the way to Rio when I've been given so many wonderful opportunities outside of diving, outside the pool that I'm really passionate about."

Mitcham revealed that he is currently writing a new cabaret show that he hopes to debut later this year.