【Digest】曾经泳池边高大的身影正渐渐远去。。。--波波夫退役（在线收听）

Alexander Popov says good-bye to swimming

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Alexander Popov of Russia has retired from swimming, French sportsdaily L'Equipe reported Thursday.

Popov, 33, made the decision after consulting with his coach and family upon returning home from the Athens Olympic Games in August, the newspaper reported. Popov won no medal in Athens, as Xinhua News reported.

A retirement ceremony is being planned in Switzerland, where Popov has resided for the past two years, L'Equipe said. The newspaper cited an unidentified source in Volgograd, where Popov trained early in his career.

The four-time Russian Olympian won the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle at the 1992 Barcelona Games and in Atlanta in 1996.

His eight-year tenure as sprint champion came to an end at the 2004 Sydney Olympics when he lost his 100-meter title to Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands, wrote Moscow Times.

According to the ABC News, Australian middle-distance great Ian Thorpe acclaimed the four-time Olympic Champion as his inspiration during the Athens Olympics.

"I've been inspired by Alex for a number of years. I think he is the best sprinter that this sport has ever seen and I hope that is the legacy that is left behind," Thorpe said.

"The way that he swims and the way he has swum, it is exceptional. I think in a lot of people's mind he changed the way that we've swum races and I hope that is remembered.

"It has been a privilege and a pleasure to be able to compete against him."

两届奥运夺金 俄罗斯游泳名将波波夫在瑞士退役  

在瑞士的圣莫里茨，波波夫举行了退役仪式，来自世界各地的游泳名将济济一堂。澳大利亚鱼雷索普赠送给波波夫一块金表，上面刻着退役的字样。美国名将菲尔普斯则表示，波波夫是所有游泳选手的榜样。而包括荷兰女飞鱼德布鲁因在内的很多选手都流露出不舍之情。

波波夫表示，现在一切都结束了。自己在做出退役的决定之前内心经历了很长时间的挣扎，但是看到刚刚结束的世界杯俄罗斯站比赛中选手们的精彩表现，自己下决心退役了。

33岁的波波夫曾在1992年巴塞罗那和1996年亚特兰大奥运会上两次包揽50米和100米自由泳金牌。但是近几年泳坛新人辈出，波波夫在去年的雅典奥运会小组赛中即告失利。