Age V.S. Times

I was just wondering. At what point is ones swimming career while they realise that they have hit the wall, and then sur passed it and they cant possibly go faster?? The reason I ask is because Phelphs is "retiring" after the 2012 games. But then I see athlets go out and compete that are well into their late 20's and early 30's. What is the averge prime age for a male swimmer before times start becoming slower??? Swimmers often retire way way before having reached this wall. The reason why they feel like opting out, is that they finally want to get a life. When you've spend 10-15years in a row with virtually no social life, at one point you feel like experiencing something else (like harmony with your couple? Maybe try to have and raise kids?). Therefore it has very little to do with physical limitation per se. Often so, times are becoming slower not as a consequence of physical limitations (although certain injuries never entirely go away, this places quite a stress mentally speaking), but rather as a result of diminuishing the commitment to their sport. They don't train as much, or don't train as well. Bottom line, unless you hit mid 30s early 40s, given you're lucky with your (recurring) injury record, you should constantly improve. But social / family obligations will come in the way, unless you're a social freak having began swimming at age 5, very seriously by age 10, and still eat kilos and drink pool water day in day out without getting bored without feeling the need to find mates without feeling the need to see your friends etc...

I was just wondering. At what point is ones swimming career while they realise that they have hit the wall, and then sur passed it and they cant possibly go faster?? The reason I ask is because Phelphs is "retiring" after the 2012 games. But then I see athlets go out and compete that are well into their late 20's and early 30's. What is the averge prime age for a male swimmer before times start becoming slower??? Swimmers often retire way way before having reached this wall. The reason why they feel like opting out, is that they finally want to get a life. When you've spend 10-15years in a row with virtually no social life, at one point you feel like experiencing something else (like harmony with your couple? Maybe try to have and raise kids?). Therefore it has very little to do with physical limitation per se. Often so, times are becoming slower not as a consequence of physical limitations (although certain injuries never entirely go away, this places quite a stress mentally speaking), but rather as a result of diminuishing the commitment to their sport. They don't train as much, or don't train as well. Bottom line, unless you hit mid 30s early 40s, given you're lucky with your (recurring) injury record, you should constantly improve. But social / family obligations will come in the way, unless you're a social freak having began swimming at age 5, very seriously by age 10, and still eat kilos and drink pool water day in day out without getting bored without feeling the need to find mates without feeling the need to see your friends etc...