Husband and wife couple Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen-Eaton retired from track and field.
The couple, both medal winners at last summer’s Rio Olympic Games, announced the ends of their track and field careers Wednesday.
Ashton, a two-time decathlon champion, said after 10 years in the sport, “it’s my time to depart from athletics; to do something new.”
“Frankly there isn’t much more I want to do in sport. I gave the most physically robust years of my life to the discovery and pursuit of my limits in this domain,” said the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games champion.
As for Brianne, the Rio 2016 heptathlon bronze medallist, “I no longer have the passion for track and field or the heptathlon that I used to because I know I can’t advance any further in the sport.”
“I’ve given it all I can, and I refuse to come back and half-ass it because I love and respect this event and sport too much. With that, I’ve decided to retire. It’s time to move on to my next passion, the next thing in the world I hope to make an impact in,” she said after a career, which brought her two World Championships silver medals in 2013 and 2015.
Ashton won two World Championships gold medals in 2013 and 2015, along with three Indoor titles in 2012, 2014 and 2016. He is the event world record holder with 9.045 points.
“To my supporters and sponsors; The things I have achieved were achieved together with you. At times when I was doubtful, you believed. And if I was confident, it was also because you believed. Thank you for the love and support.
To anyone I’ve competed with; To compete with you, learn from you, be challenged by you, and to be friends with you, are some of my most protected memories and experiences. Because of you it has been my pleasure to be an athlete,” added Ashton Eaton.