Professional track and field athlete Ashton Eaton announces his retirement on January 4, 2017, at age 28. Unlike most track and field athletes who compete in only a few of the many events, Eaton competed in 10 events in a time span of 2 days. These events included a 100-meter sprint, long jump, shot put, high jump, a 400-meter run, 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1500-meter run. Eaton explains his decision by stating, “It’s my time to depart from athletics; to do something new. Frankly, there isn’t much more I want to do in sports.” Eaton also notes that it has been “10 years” since his first decathlon.

In those 10 years, Ashton Eaton has done more for athletics and the sport of track and field than most athletes. In last year’s Olympic Games in Rio, Eaton successfully defended his title and currently holds the world record for highest score in the decathlon. His world record for the most points is 9,045, the second man to ever earn more than 9,000 points. However, Eaton is the first man to surpass 9,000 points twice. Eaton has won two world championships and three indoor heptathlon championships.

Many people question Ashton Eaton’s decision to retire. After winning an Olympic title in Rio, some argue that Eaton still has more to accomplish in this sport. However, Eaton gives further insight into his decision when he says, “As the start of the 2017 season drew nearer, I felt more and more resistant to begin my training. 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. But I’ve done it. I went after what I set out to do and whether I achieved it or fell short is not the point. The point is that I know deep down that I gave it every ounce of energy I had and that if I went back and did it all over again, I would not change a thing; I could not have done anything better.”

Eaton has achieved greatness in the sport of track and field and as a U.S athlete, he has brought glory and pride to America. Leaving on the top of the hill, Eaton’s retirement will allow him to spend more time with his wife Brianne Theisen-Eaton who competes for Canada and is also a decathlete.

In an inspirational statement, Eaton leaves the sports world by saying, “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.”

For more information on Ashton Eaton, view the website below.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/01/04/worlds-greatest-athlete-ashton-eaton-walks-away-from-decathlon-at-age-28/?utm_term=.3fd1b9861f11