Ireland's Barry Murphy out of Rio 2016 after announcing retirement

Ireland's Barry Murphy has confirmed that he will not compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as he has decided to retire from international swimming.

The 29-year-old has revealed that he will be turning his attention to "something new" following a career which included scooping a bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke at the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Denmark last year.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Murphy said: "After much deliberation and an extensive time to reflect, I am happy to announce my retirement from International level swimming. It has been an arduous decision but at 29 years of age, I feel it is the right time.

"To represent the country I love, in a sport I have loved since I was eight years old fills me with an incredible amount of pride. When I set out on this path as a young sports fanatic, I could only have dreamed of having the career I was able to have, achieving the accolades I was able to achieve and embracing the opportunities I was able to pursue."

Murphy, who competed at London 2012, claimed a World Cup bronze medal in 2013.