The Retirement Thread

[gh]

published on our home page a month ago

[TN1965]

This is an old story, but I just found about it in another story in Runner's World. (https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a3...0Non%20Openers)

For family's sake, IU's Andy Bayer retires rather than try for Olympic run

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2021/04/21/olympics-andy-bayer-retires-indiana-university-hoosiers/7318305002/

[El Toro]

As noted in the front page news links, AUS walker, Jared Tallent retires due to injury, leaving a pretty good competitive record at major champs.

Championship	Place	Discipline	Mark	Place	Date
OG	3.	20 Kilometres Race Walk	1:19:42	Beijing	16 AUG 2008
OG	2.	50 Kilometres Race Walk	3:39:27	Beijing	22 AUG 2008
WC	5.	20 Kilometres Race Walk	1:20:27	Berlin	15 AUG 2009
WC	6.	50 Kilometres Race Walk	3:44:50	Berlin	21 AUG 2009
WC	2.	50 Kilometres Race Walk	3:43:36	Daegu	03 SEP 2011
OG	7.	20 Kilometres Race Walk	1:20:02	London	04 AUG 2012
OG	1.	50 Kilometres Race Walk	3:36:53	London	11 AUG 2012
WC	2.	50 Kilometres Race Walk	3:40:03	Moskva	14 AUG 2013
WC	2.	50 Kilometres Race Walk	3:42:17	Beijing	29 AUG 2015
OG	2.	50 Kilometres Race Walk	3:41:16	Rio de Janeiro	19 AUG 2016

[tandfman]

Miler/5000 guy Riley Masters has retired.

https://bangordailynews.com/2021/03/26/sports/professional-sports/longtime-bangor-running-star-retires-from-pro-career/

[El Toro]

By the way, has Friedrich retired?

She's the 5th named athlete in the first post on this thread!

[xw]

I really enjoyed watching Vlasic compete. Happy to read she is at peace with her decision.

I remember she lost only two meets in 2007-08. The one in '07 cost her a share in the Golden Jackpot and, of course, her Silver in Beijing. Crazy timing, but I guess that's Athletics.

Crazy to think that if she had jumped 2.00 in Rio, a mark she has hit 166 times, she would have won.

I think the 2nd place that cost her the golden jackpot was in 2008? In Bruxelles, last meet, to Friedrich. By the way, has Friedrich retired?

[Fortius19]

I really enjoyed watching Vlasic compete. Happy to read she is at peace with her decision.

I remember she lost only two meets in 2007-08. The one in '07 cost her a share in the Golden Jackpot and, of course, her Silver in Beijing. Crazy timing, but I guess that's Athletics.

Crazy to think that if she had jumped 2.00 in Rio, a mark she has hit 166 times, she would have won.

[gmak]

Shame for her. The best ever HJer without an Olympic Gold. Should've won in 2008, but Hellebaut had the day of her life. 2004 and 2012, Slesarenko and Chicherova were unbeatable.
She was clearly hampered in Rio and she still only lost on countback. That was her final competition.

[ATK]

Blanca Vlasic officially retires

https://european-athletics.com/news/vlasic-announces-retirement-at-the-age-of-37

[18.99s]

They put things on pause for a year for an Olympics that did not happen.

And it still might not happen in 2021.

[26mi235]

I got to know the parents of Lexi's husband (I just texted them a little bit ago) when I stayed in the room next to them at NCAA/Eugene. Their son was a decathlete on par with a couple of UW guys whose parents were also on the next floor. Chris Nilsen's mom was also down the hall in the relatively small hotel that was also being used for my nephew's wedding -- hoping to stay at their place for the World's. We kept in touch by text since then and I think that those two women make the right choice at the right time.

This might be premature but I wonder if this is the first of some retirements driven by the decreasing prospects of the Olympics given the new, faster spreading strains (strains now, rather than just variants). Maybe this should go in the COVID thread but the faster spread means that the actions that were enough to quill spread and what people have gotten used to will be inadequate, maybe by a lot. Ireland hit a peak Rt of 2.1 (i.e., one person spreads, on average, to 2.1 other people, the R that powers a nuclear chain reaction). However, strong measures instituted ten days ago has lowered the Rt to 1.2. The rate of climb might also be exaggerated because of delayed reporting and testing over Christmas.

[polevaultpower]

I haven't read their Instagram comments.
Did they do separate ones, or did just Tori do one for both of them?
Also, did they give any indication that they might change their minds later on---maybe after Covid is over---if it ever is?

It seems to me this was a ""twin-born" decision.
In other words, twins seem to always do things in pairs!
(Their getting married the same summer, just weeks apart.)
This is a major loss to US Women's PV'ing!!

NOTE---My reply on Twitter to PVP's tweet was just "liked" by Tori!!

They gave their own updates on Instagram. Lexi did not get into as many details as Tori.

I had heard over a year ago that the plan was for them to retire after the Trials or Olympics, unless one of them had a really BIG breakthrough.

There is very little money to be made in the sport right now, and more importantly, they seem ready to move on to the next adventures in their life. They put things on pause for a year for an Olympics that did not happen. Cannot blame them for deciding to move forward now.

[aaronk]

I believe the plan was always to retire after the Olympic Trials/Olympics and focus on their careers as pharmacists. Tori mentions on her Instagram that she tried doing both pharmacy school and training this past fall and it was too much.

I haven't read their Instagram comments.
Did they do separate ones, or did just Tori do one for both of them?
Also, did they give any indication that they might change their minds later on---maybe after Covid is over---if it ever is?

It seems to me this was a ""twin-born" decision.
In other words, twins seem to always do things in pairs!
(Their getting married the same summer, just weeks apart.)
This is a major loss to US Women's PV'ing!!

NOTE---My reply on Twitter to PVP's tweet was just "liked" by Tori!!

[polevaultpower]

A tweet by Becca (PoleVaultPower) said the (former) Weeks twins---Lexi Jacobus and Tori Hoggard---have both retired--to pursue careers as pharmacists.
They both turned 24 a few weeks ago!!

Could it be Covid that made them decide??

I believe the plan was always to retire after the Olympic Trials/Olympics and focus on their careers as pharmacists. Tori mentions on her Instagram that she tried doing both pharmacy school and training this past fall and it was too much.

[aaronk]

A tweet by Becca (PoleVaultPower) said the (former) Weeks twins---Lexi Jacobus and Tori Hoggard---have both retired--to pursue careers as pharmacists.
They both turned 24 a few weeks ago!!

Could it be Covid that made them decide??