Decathlon king Ashton Eaton announces retirement

 

AMERICAN decathlete Ashton Eaton, who won gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016, has retired from athletics.Two-time Olympic decathlon gold medallist Ashton Eaton has announced his retirement from competitive action with immediate effect.
Eaton defended his Olympic title in Rio last year, breaking his own world record in the process, having first claimed decathlon gold at London 2012.
The 30-year-old was also prolific at the World Championships, bursting onto the international scene in 2011 when he won silver behind United States teammate Trey Hardee.
Eaton beat Hardee by 198 points in the London Games, before going on to seal back-to-back World titles in Moscow and Beijing.
With a glittering career behind him Eaton has opted to step away from athletics, saying: “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. Did I reach them? Truthfully, I’m not sure anyone really does.
“It seems like we tend to run out of time or will before we run out of potential. That makes humanity limitless then, as far as I’m concerned. And I think that’s inspiring.”
His wife Brianne Theisen-Eaton also announced her retirement and steps away from a career in the heptathlon, having claimed bronze in Rio, adding to silver medals in the Moscow and Beijing World Championships.
“Crossing the 800m finish line in Rio I didn’t have this feeling,” she said.
“I was mentally exhausted. I have never been so thankful to be finished something in my life. I felt like I never wanted to do another heptathlon again.
“I gave the last 4 years everything I could. I put my life on hold. Track and field was the priority before everything else: my family, my friends, my marriage, my future. This is something I chose to do and I don’t regret it for a second. It made me happy to pursue something I was so passionate about.
“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-ace it because I love and respect this event and sport too much.” (Sportsmax)

 

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