2015 WORLD CHAMPION NING ZETAO OF CHINA CALLS IT QUITS

China’s former 100m freestyle 2015 world champion and swimming pin-up Ning Zetao announced his retirement from the sport on Wednesday, his 26th birthday.

“Don’t be afraid of the past and the future!,” the sprint freestyle ace said on Weibo today, March 6th, which also happens to be his birthday. “I’m saying good-bye to the swimming pool and blue water to restart my own new life.

“Thank you my dear fans. I wish you all the best. The way to success is never easy, push yourself and DO NOT SETTLE.”

Ning has had a tumultuous career, starting with a one-year suspension in 2011 after having tested positive for Chlenbuterol. He came back with a vengeance, however, winning the 50m free and 100m free gold double at the 2014 Asian Games, breaking the Asian continental record in the latter in a monster 47.70. He lowered that Asian Record even further to 47.65 at the Chinese Championships later that same year.

Ning then went on to shock the world with a 2015 world title in the 100m freestyle, denying the likes of American Nathan Adrian and Australian Cameron McEvoy.

However, the Chinese heart-throb was reportedly cut from the Chinese National Team in July 2016 immediately before that year’s Olympic Games for having undertaken too many commercial engagements. At the time, Ning denied the claims and he went on to compete in Rio, but was unable to qualify for the men’s 100m freestyle final.

But he bombed at Rio 2016, where he failed to qualify for the 100m freestyle final.

In February 2017 he was thrown out of the China team for “violating the rules” over sponsorship.

He was unable to defend his world title later that year after failing to qualify for the showpiece, citing an abdominal injury.