Three times Olympic champion Irene Schouten is hanging up her competitive speed skates for good.

Schouten, who is 31 and won three golds and one silver at the weekend’s world championships in Calgary, made the shock announcement on Monday. “My career in top-level sport is over,” she said. “I’m done… deep in my heart I yearn to do other things. I’m not dreaming about another Olympics.”

Schouten, who has picked up three Olympic, nine world and five European titles in her 15-year career, said she had been busy with skating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“You’ve always got to be fit,” she said. “If I go out to eat with friends then I think ‘shit, I’ve got to go home, I’ve got to get to bed on time’,” she said. “I can’t see anyone at Christmas, because I can’t catch something.”

The decision has shocked the speed skating world. “I nearly fell off my chair when I heard,” said former world champion Ireen Wüst. “I’m shocked and disappointed but I do understand it,” she said.

As yet it is unclear if Schouten will take part in the Dutch national championships this coming weekend.