Gary Hall Jr. went out early this morning to catch a few waves.

Time to get on with the rest of his life.

The 10-time Olympic medalist has officially retired from swimming and turned his attention to a new challenge: helping those with diabetes lead long, productive lives.

Hall, who suffers from the disease, was expected to leave the sport after just missing out on making his fourth Olympic team this summer. He made it official in conjunction with World Diabetes Day, which was recognized on Friday.

The 34-year-old Hall decided that his family — a wife and two small children — came before another attempt at the Olympics.

"I'm just not ready to commit myself to another four years," Hall said in a telephone interview. "It was difficult to be away from my wife and kids this past year to commit myself to training. It's different when you have kids. To be honest, I was getting more enjoyment out of my kids than I was out of swimming.

"When you know, you know."

Like his father, Hall was a three-time Olympian who won two golds, two silver and one bronze in individual competition. He also captured three golds, one silver and one bronze as part of relay teams.

But Hall was nearly as well known for his outspokenness — doping was a favorite subject — and bringing a little flair to the usually staid sport of swimming. He would often wear a boxing robe and trunks to the deck for introductions before a race, throwing shadow punches as his name was announced.

At this year's Olympic trials in Omaha, he went out for the final of his only event in a red, white and blue robe that had "The Godfather of Swimming" emblazoned across the back, a tribute to the late James Brown.

But Hall finished fourth in his last race. Only the top two made the Olympic team.

"I could probably drag some sponsors along by telling them I was going for another four years," he said. "But look, it's not getting any easier. This past round was tough. I took a beating.

"I'm really not disappointed as all with the result. I swam the second-fastest time of my career (21.91 seconds). I hadn't swam that fast since 2000, which is a long time ago. My time at the trials was good enough to win at any previous Olympic Games. I'm certainly not disappointed. It's something to be proud of."

Hall, who was diagnosed with diabetes in 1999, will devote himself to his foundation that works with those who have the disease.

"I think my assets are better appreciated and more needed in diabetes than they are in the pool," he said.

Hall also has launched a company to develop vitamin supplements, both for those with diabetes and to aid elite-level athletes. Long an outspoken critic of doping in sports, he wants to develop products that will help athletes competing within the rules keep up with those he believes are using performance-enhancing drugs.

"I'm trying to offer resources to athletes where they can go to have supplements discussed and available ... with no concern about cross-contamination or anything like that," he said. "When you look at my sport, and all sports really, you come to the realization that doping does exist."

Despite all his accomplishments, Hall said his best moment came outside the pool after the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when a mother approached the swimmer to talk about her diabetic son.

"She told me that I had inspired her son, who was 7 or 8 years old, to join the soccer team," Hall remembered. "On the previous weekend, the kid scored the game-winning goal and all the kids picked him up and carried him off the field on their shoulders.

"To share my own personal story and be able to inspire and motivate, that's the greatest accomplishment of my swimming career."

Hall was in New York for a fundraiser and to attend Monday's Golden Goggles Award. He will present the Humanitarian Award, which he won in 2004. First, Hall found time to get in some surfing at Rockaway Beach.

"I had a great time except for the fact that I froze all my fingers and toes off," Hall said. "I'm a thin-blooded animal as it is. But I caught more waves than anyone out there."