Mehdy Metella<\/strong> has retired at the age of 34 after winning Olympic silver and clinching world and European titles.<\/p>\n The Frenchman shared the news on social media, 10 years after he led off the French quartet that won 4x100m freestyle silver at Rio 2016 behind the USA.<\/p>\n He was also sixth in the historic 100 fly won by Joseph Schooling<\/strong> of Singapore as Michael Phelps, Laszlo Cseh<\/strong> and Chad le Clos<\/strong> finished in a three-way tie for silver.<\/p>\n The two-time Olympian \u2013 the younger brother of Olympic and world medallist Malia Metella<\/strong> \u2013 led off the winning 4×100 free squad at the 2015 World Championships, one of four global long-course medals of which three were relays with a solo bronze at Budapest 2017 in the 100 free behind Caeleb Dressel<\/strong> and Nathan Adrian<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Metella also won two European relay titles among seven medals on top of world and continental short-course titles.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI started competing at the age of six, never knowing where this journey would take me. Now, at 34, it is time for me to say goodbye to competitive swimming.<\/p>\n \u201cTwenty-eight years of pools, training sessions, early mornings, competitions, victories, defeats, doubts, and pushing my limits… but above all, twenty-eight years of memories and connections that have shaped my life. \ud83c\udfca\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83d\udc99<\/p>\n \u201cSwimming saw me grow up. It taught me never to give up, to pick myself up after setbacks, and to always strive to go a little further.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were times when I wanted to quit it all, but I always found my way back to the pool – a place that was a second home to me for so many years.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, I leave with a mix of emotions, but above all, with immense gratitude.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you to my family, coaches, teammates, competitors, friends, and everyone who shared in this incredible journey with me, whether closely or from afar. \u2764\ufe0f<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what comes next yet, but I know one thing: the six-year-old boy diving into the pool for the first time will always remain a part of me.<\/p>\n \u201cOne last race. One last lap. And above all… thank you for everything. \ud83c\udfca\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\u2728On to the next chapter. \u2764\ufe0f\u201d<\/p>\n