Oz's Sullivan to retire

Sydney - Australian triple Olympian and former world record holder Eamon Sullivan on Wednesday announced his retirement from competitive swimming on medical advice.

The 28-year-old, who pulled out of this month's Glasgow Commonwealth Games with an injury, has been told his shoulder will not hold up to the training required to prepare for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"I'm at a point where I've had one too many injuries, and it has become too much to manage," he said.

"In the end my body has let me down, so I'm very disappointed, but it's the right time."

Swimming Australia chief executive Mark Anderson said Sullivan's contribution to the sport over more than a decade should be applauded.

"As an athlete he's been the world's best, which is what we are all striving for as part of the goal to be the best in the world in and out of the pool by 2020," he said.

"In addition to what he has achieved in the pool, Eamon has at all stages promoted the sport, especially in his home state of WA (Western Australia), where he's been extremely active across community and grass roots levels."

Sullivan had qualified for Glasgow by winning the men's 50m freestyle national title in April.

A former world record holder in both the 50 and 100m freestyle, he went to three Olympic Games - Athens, Beijing and London - and won silver in 2008 in the men's 100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay.

He also won bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay at Beijing.