US Olympic swimmer Rebecca Soni retires

Six-time Olympic medallist Rebecca Soni of the US has retired from swimming.

Soni made the announcement on Thursday, saying she plans to launch a new lifestyle company and blog.

The 26-year-old Soni won the 200-metre breaststroke at the last two Olympics while taking silver in the 100 breast.

She also was part of medley relay teams that won gold in Beijing and the silver in London.

Soni is best known for becoming the first woman to break 2 minutes, 20 seconds in the 200 breast.

At the London Olympics, she set a world record with a time of 2:19.59, a race she says "really put a storybook ending on my career".

She will launch her new company, The Atlas Ventures, in the spring.