Kieren Perkins calls it a day

Australian swimming great Kieren Perkins announced his retirement on Thursday, eight weeks after his emotional farewell at the Sydney Olympics.

Perkins, 27, said he had decided to swap his goggles for a new life in sports marketing and broadcasting after finishing his career with a silver medal at Sydney.

Perkins, who ranks alongside Vladimir Salnikov as the greatest long-distance swimmer of all time, won gold in the 1,500 metres freestyle at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics and still holds the world record in the marathon event.

"I don't think I need to prove anything at all," said Perkins, who began swimming on doctor's orders after running through a glass door as a child.

"If I'd have fallen into the trap of wanting to keep going just to prove that I could win again, I might be going forever."

Perkins won every major title on offer during his glittering career and set 11 individual world records.

He won his first Olympic title at the 1992 Barcelona Games, smashing his own world record to take gold for the 1,500 metres, then repeated his victory in Atlanta, ploughing through the water in lane eight when he was so badly out of form that he was lucky to make the final.

At his peak, Perkins was virtually unbeatable. He set the existing world record for 800 and 1,500 metres at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada, defying his coaches instructions to slow down and save his energy for the world championships, which took place in Rome a month later.

Perkins regained his 400 metre world record in the Italian capital and also won the 1,500 metre title but the effort clearly drained him and he never again threatened any of his world records.

He had considered retiring after his amazing victory in Atlanta but decided to continue through to Sydney, lured by the chance of becoming the first male swimmer to win gold at three Olympics.

Now married with two children, Perkins defied the odds to qualify fastest for the Sydney final with his first sub-15 minute swim in four years.

But he had to settle for silver behind his countryman Grant Hackett, the new world number one, despite swimming almost three seconds faster than his winning time in Atlanta.

"I've had a pretty charmed sporting life," Perkins said after announcing his retirement.

"There's obviously been times when I haven't won races and have had to go through some difficult periods but all in all, they've been far outweighed by the highs."