(Sports Network) - Pieter van den Hoogenband, the three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer from the Netherlands known for his battles in the pool with Alexander Popov and Ian Thorpe, retired Thursday. "This is the end of my career," van den Hoogenband said after finishing fifth in the 100-meter freestyle final at the Beijing Olympics.

Van den Hoogenband won gold in the 100 freestyle in two consecutive Olympics, beating Popov for the first one at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and helping relegate Thorpe to a bronze finish at the 2004 Athens Games. He also beat Thorpe to win the 200 freestyle in Sydney.

Now 30, van den Hoogenband said he was no longer able to keep up with the younger swimmers. He was two lanes away when Alain Bernard won gold in the 100 freestyle at the Beijing Olympics on Thursday.

"I have always focused on a period of four years and to go any faster, it would be impossible," said van den Hoogenband, who won seven total Olympic medals.

The Dutchman held the 100 world record for 7 1/2 years until Bernard broke it in March. In Beijing, the record has already changed hands between Bernard and Australia's Eamon Sullivan three times, with Sullivan currently holding the mark at 47.05 seconds.

Bernard was unable to re-take the record in the final Thursday, though he did walk away with the gold he expected to win. Van den Hoogenband was .54 seconds slower in fifth place -- a lifetime in the 100 free.

"I know what Bernard is going through," said van den Hoogenband. "I've won it twice, the most prestigious event. I'm happy I've done that."



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