Szilágyi stressed she was not giving up on swimming as she spoke of her desire to represent Hungary at Paris 2024, but she said she needed to "take care of myself, my body and my soul" - and "put it right".

The 24-year-old, who won the 200 metres and 100m butterfly events at the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing in China, is eyeing a return to competitive action next summer.

But this means she will not be looking to qualify for the Olympics in Tokyo in Japan which has been postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"It’s hard to put it exactly so that everyone understands, especially the outsiders who don’t know, who don’t know what I’ve been going through, I’m going through," said Szilágyi on the Ferencváros Torna Club (FTC) website.

"Maybe it’s best to put it this way, I need time.

"They say we are human.

"A machine has no feelings, I have one.

"I asked for and got time from [FTC].

"I would stress, I didn’t retreat, I didn’t stop swimming, I just have to stop and take care of myself, my body and my soul, put it right.

"I am young, I can be a champion again, I can achieve great results and I also want to achieve."

Szilágyi’s father, Zoltán Szilágyi was also a swimmer, competing in three Olympics, while her grandfather, Dezső Gyarmati is a three-time Olympic champion in water polo.

She believes she will be able to "reach my full strength" at Paris 2024.

"I didn’t give up on my dreams,” said Szilágyi who clinched silver at the 2016 European Championships in London.

"I just really want to put myself together so I can train and compete the way it’s worthy of my previous results.

"It feels great to know that many people support me.

"I ask journalists, supporters, outsiders to accept my decision too, to support me by not looking until next summer, respecting that I have decided so.

"I will not give an interview for a long time, I will only care about what is important to me, my soul and my body."