Du Toit, 27, has competed in the Olympics before, in 2008 in Beijing, and though she did not win a medal she claimed five golds at the Paralympic Games.

She also won five gold medals in Athens in 2004, seven gold medals at three Commonwealth Games, and claimed the Laureus World Sportsperson with a Disability in 2010.

The South African insists that she will not swim after 2012, saying: "I might get into the pool just for fun to play around or on holiday but other than that I think I want to start doing other things and start enjoying things.

"I have had a long road of competitive sport and definitely in swimming.

"I give everything and it's time to start other things."

Du Toit hopes to compete in the 100 metres breaststroke and 100m backstroke, saying that she hopes they will provide her with "a good way to go out".

She is also hoping to make it to the 10km open-water swim in the Olympics, and is confident she can give a good showing if she makes it.

"I'm really going to target the open-water and it's really difficult going from the 10km to the sprints which happens in the Paralympics, so from that perspective it's going to be tough.

"In between I will have three weeks to go from the 10km to a sprint so it's going to be tough but hopefully we can pull it off."

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