The Australian cycling champion Anna Meares has announced her retirement after a career including six Olympic medals.
“Obviously a lot of people have been wondering where I’m going to go to post Rio and, with some reflection, I’ve decided that I’m actually going to retire,” she told Weekend Today on Channel Nine.
She had hinted at a major announcement on Twitter earlier on Sunday.
Anna Meares
(@AnnaMeares)Today’s the day. Where to for Anna Meares from here? Tune into @wwos this morning and find out xx pic.twitter.com/ocPqh2ud9f
Meares represented Australia at four Olympic Games and is arguably Australia’s most decorated cyclist.
Meares won gold in the 500m time trial and bronze in the sprint in Athens in 2004.
After breaking her neck in a crash in January 2008, she won sprint silver at Beijing’s 2008 Olympics just seven months later.
She won her first sprint gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012, defeating British rival Victoria Pendleton.
She was Australia’s flag bearer and team captain at the Rio Olympics, where she won a bronze medal in keirin but was unable to defend her individual sprint crown.
After the Rio Olympics the 11-time world champion had said she intended to take some time to catch her breath and spend time with her family before coming to a decision about her future.
“I didn’t get a fairy tale ending [to these Olympic Games] but I had a good ending,” she said.