Australia's most-decorated gymnast Lauren Mitchell has announced her retirement, saying she leaves the sport with no regrets after squeezing every ounce of talent out of her body.
Mitchell, the 2010 floor world champion and two-time Olympian, made the decision to retire during a recent trip to Europe.
The 25-year-old said her decision wasn't related to the serious knee injury she suffered last year, or the recent announcement that the WAIS gymnastics program would be axed.
Instead, Mitchell revealed she had merely reached her mental limits in a sport she has competed in since she was six years old.
Even the lure of competing at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018 wasn't enough to spur her on.
"It would have been an amazing experience to compete in front of a home crowd," Mitchell said.
"But I don't think mentally I would be able to push myself to be good enough to be able to make the team again.
"I've given everything that I could have to the sport, and I have no regrets.
"Mentally I couldn't have pushed any more."
Mitchell's dreams of going out on a high were dashed when she missed selection for the Rio Games.
Under normal circumstances, Mitchell would have been a guaranteed selection.
But when Australia failed to qualify for the team event, it left just one individual spot available for Rio.
Mitchell, Emily Little and Larrissa Miller were pitted in a three-way battle for the spot.
Mitchell's chances of securing that spot were slim given she was on the comeback trail from a knee reconstruction.
And despite putting in a strong display during the Australian Gymnastic Championships in May/June, Mitchell was beaten to the spot for Rio by Miller.
Miller went on to finish 30th overall in the bars, and 67th on the floor in Rio.
Mitchell said tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, and missing out on a spot at the Rio Games were two of the hardest times of her glittering career.
But she can take solace from the fact she has retired as Australia's most decorated gymnast.
Mitchell shot to prominence after winning gold at the 2010 World Championships in Rotterdam.
That triumph saw her become Australia's first female world gymnastics champion.
She also won four golds and a silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and she only narrowly missed a bronze medal in the floor routine at the 2012 London Olympics, finishing fifth.
Mitchell has now set her sights on completing her university studies, as well as embarking on a motivational speaking career.
She also wants to play a mentoring role to the next batch of Australia's gymnastic stars.
