U.S. five-time Olympic swimming champion Aaron Peirsol, who still owns world records in the 100m and 200m backstroke, has retired from swimming competition.

Peirsol confirmed his retirement to the Austin American-Statesman, his hometown newspaper in Texas, that he will not compete at next year's London Olympics.

"Retiring is such a strange word. I'm 27 years old. I've still got stuff to do," Peirsol told the newspaper. "But to do this right, you have got to give it 110 percent. I can't give it 110 percent any more."

Aaron Peirsol of the U.S. reacts to setting a new world record in the men's 100m backstroke final at the USA Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana July 8, 2009.

Peirsol has applied for political science graduate studies at the University of Texas, where he was a collegiate swim star.

Peirsol won three gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics and took the 100 backstroke gold at Beijing as well as a relay gold, but struggled when it came time to prepare for London.

"It was hard for me to reset, to find something worth going for the next year," he said.

【体坛英语资讯：U.S. Olympic swimming champion Peirsol retires】相关文章：

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Matt Damon named sexiest man alive

★ 体坛英语资讯：All the NBA is a stage

★ 体坛英语资讯：Arsenal back on top as Chelsea end goal drought

★ 体坛英语资讯：Gonzalez stuns Federer in round-robin in Shanghai

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Bruce Willis and Ving Rhames to reteam in sci-fi thriller

★ 体坛资讯：China storm into semis, S. Korea pose strong in Sudirman Cup

★ 体坛英语资讯：China suffers 4-0 loss to Brazil

★ 体坛英语资讯：Federer, Davydenko make Estoril tennis semifinals

★ 体坛英语资讯：China, Indonesia share light at badminton worlds

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Emmy Awards nominations announced