One of New Zealand's greatest swimmers Lauren Boyle has hung up the goggles, announcing her retirement from professional swimming due to ongoing hip issues.
The 29-year-old former World Champion made the announcement via social media, saying it was a hard decision but she has had a great career.
"Today I am announcing my retirement from competitive swimming," Boyle said in a Facebook video post.
"It's been a hard decision to make but I've had a lot to celebrate over my career as a swimmer. I've had five world championship medals, four Commonwealth Games and three Pan-Pacific medals and I broke a world record - not too bad for a girl from Auckland.
Boyle said she can no longer perfom at her best due to her hip problem which affected her during last year's Rio Olympics.
"To achieve those heights requires top physical form and for a long period of time I've been dealing with a hip injury that hasn't allowed me to perform at my best.
"So for myself, my supporters and for New Zealand, I can only perform if I meet my own personal standards and I can't do that anymore so it's time to make a change.
"I'm excited about the future. I'm excited to be an ambassador for swimming and for water safety and I'll explore opportunities in business. I've been so lucky to be able to achieve what I have and I hope I can help others do the same. If you've followed my career in swimming, thank you so much for your support."
She recently had surgery on her hip and was selected to take part in the just completed World Championships in Budapest but was forced to withdraw due to hampered training efforts.
Boyle leaves the sport regarded as the best New Zealand swimmers of her generation, having competed at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, capturing four medals - along with having competed at the Olympics three times (2008, 2012 and 2016).
