The Tsar of swimming Alex Popov has announced he will retire from swimming after the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Popov who swims for Russia has been living and training in Australia with his coach Gennadi Touretski since 1993 when the two moved from Russia.

Popov became an Olympic Champion in 1992 when he won the 50 and 100 meter Freestyle events at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

In 1994, Popov set his first World Record inthe 100m free event with a time of 48.21. Later that same year he picked up his first World titles winning the 50 & 100 meter Freestyle events at the 1994 World Championships in Rome.

In 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics he repeated his wins in both the 50 and 100 meter Freestyle events confirming him as the Tsar of sprint freestyle swimming.

He tried for a triple in the events at the 2000 Sydney Olympics but had to settle for silver in the 100m event as he was beaten by Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands. In the 50m freestyle event he had to settle for 6th.