Former water jump world champion and Olympic flag bearer Patrick Hausding announced his retirement from competitive sports on Wednesday.
On the fringes of the German championships in his native city of Berlin, the 33-year-old also gave the wear and tear of strength in older athletes as a reason for his decision.
"My body has been through a lot.
I've noticed that in recent years it's taken longer and longer to get into top form," said Hausding: "It's not only very physically demanding, it's also mentally tiring, because progress was very slow and you're up to a few months before the peak of the season simply no longer achieved the quality that you were used to from before."
In the course of his career, Hausding advanced to become the most successful water jumper in the German Swimming Federation (DSV).
The four-time Olympic participant won silver in synchronized diving from the tower at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, bronze from the three-meter board in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and last year in Tokyo again bronze in synchronized diving from the three-meter board.
"Once you've been at the top, you always set yourself that goal because you know you can do it," he said now: "My own standards have always been very high.
But I don't have to prove anything to anyone anymore."
Hausding had indicated his departure immediately after the 2021 Olympic competition in Japan.
"I already had in mind back then that it would probably be my last competition," he says on Wednesday.
In the past few months, he has already stopped taking part in national team courses.
In the future, Hausding wants to concentrate on his family and his teaching degree in English and sports.
The list of his achievements is long.
In 2013, Hausding won the world title in synchronized diving from the tower with partner Sascha Klein in Barcelona, and his total of 15 successes at European championships is a record.
Before the Olympic Games last year, he was appointed flag bearer.
Together with beach volleyball Olympic champion Laura Ludwig, the veteran led the team of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) into the stadium at the opening ceremony in Tokyo.