ATHLETICS: Jessica Ennis-Hill calls time on athletics career

The 30-year-old won Olympic gold in the heptathlon at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016, and is a two-time world champion.

Ennis-Hill released a statement on her Instagram account saying it was “one of the toughest decisions” she has faced but “retiring now is right”.

She wrote on Instagram: “Amazing memories...from my first world title in Berlin 2009 to Rio 2016 I’m so fortunate to have had such an amazing career within the sport I love and this has been one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make.

“But I know that retiring now is right. I’ve always said I want to leave my sport on a high and have no regrets and I can truly say that.

“I want to thank my family and incredible team who have spent so much of their time supporting me and enabling me to achieve my dreams. Also a huge thank you to all those people who have supported and followed my career over the years x.”

Ennis-Hill won heptathlon gold in 2012, to emulate Denise Lewis’ win at the Sydney Olympics, after she claimed victory on Super Saturday, which also saw Mo Farah win the 10,000 metres and Greg Rutherford take the long jump crown inside the Olympic Stadium.

She won by 306 points ahead of Germany’s Lilli Schwarzkopf with a total of 6,955 but was unable to defend her title this summer when she finished runner-up to Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam by just 35 points.

Sheffield-born Ennis-Hill had taken time out between the Games to have son Reggie, missing the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and did hint about retirement immediately after winning silver.

“It’s going to be a tough decision, I’m going to go away and think about it,” she told the BBC at time time.

“At this moment, I’m tired and emotional, it’s a big decision.”

She returned after the birth of her son to win the World Athletics Championships in Beijing last year having already achieved the qualifying standard for Rio.It was her second world heptathlon title after winning in Berlin in 2009.