Michael Phelps to Retire After 2012 Olympics

Michael Phelps, the most award winning athlete in Olympic history announced to reporters that the London 2012 Olympics will be his last.

The 25 year old athlete has already won 14 gold medals in his short career. That's five more than the next leading Olympic athlete.

According to Yahoo! news, Phelps said, "I told myself I will not swim over the age of 30, and I will not swim over the age of 30."

He will be 27 years old during the London Olympics and although he has not specified which events he will participate in, it is most likely he will compete in two or three individual events and three relays.

Swimming has traditionally been a sport for the young and with many athletes mere teenagers, even a competitor in their late twenties can look a bit old.

While the Olympics will be a little bleaker without the entertainment of Phelps' usual winning streak, perhaps it is better that the beloved athlete go out with a graceful bang. No one wants to see a middle aged athlete suffer through the Olympics. By ending his career as a young adult he will forever be remembered as an Olympic champion rather than an athlete who was forced to stop when he no longer qualified to compete.

The decision to retire at an early age is an honourable one, however, how likely is it that the young athlete will stay retired? Phelps seems to be a man of his word, but a lot could happen in the five years before his 30th birthday. Who's to say we won't see him change his mind?

Young adults, from athletes to movie stars, claim they will retire, yet so many of them go back on their claims. It must be hard to leave the thing you love the most, especially when you're still young.

Fans of Phelps will just have to wait and see. No matter what Phelps chooses to do with his career, he will always leave behind his legacy as the most decorated athlete in Olympic history. If he moves on to new things, perhaps it's time.