(Reuters) – Britain’s most decorated Olympian Jason Kenny has called time on his cycling career and will take up a position as a sprint coach with British Cycling, the 33-year-old said.
Kenny became Britain’s greatest Olympian as he powered to victory in the men’s keirin at the Tokyo Games in August to win the seventh gold medal of his incredible career and surpass former track cycling team mate Chris Hoy.
Kenny’s nine Olympic medals is the most by a British athlete in any sport and he had said in November he was not optimistic about competing in Paris 2024 due to pain while training.
“A massive part of me would love to continue and try to get to Paris and I’m a bit sad in a way to not do that,” Kenny told the BBC. “The opportunity at British Cycling to be a coach might not be there in three years. I thought I’d take it now.”
Kenny said that racing and training was “all I’ve ever known” but he was looking forward to the next phase.
“It’s a step into the unknown. I’ve worked with amazing coaches and I’m trying to unlock my memories of what I remember as a rider and what I liked,” Kenny added.
“… I’m diving straight into this next role and trying to help support the lads, most of whom are at the start of their journeys. Hopefully I can help give them as good an experience as I’ve had.”
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
