The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are in full swing. As Team GB wins several medals for their country, which includes medals in swimming, with Adam Peaty making a glorious comeback after a tough couple of years, let’s have a look at who Britain’s most decorated Olympian is.
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As you can probably guess from the title, Britain’s most decorated Olympian is Sir Jason Kenny, a cyclist.
However, in 2021 following the Tokyo Olympic Games, which had been postponed due to Covid-19, Sir Kenny announced he was retiring from cycling. He was not completely giving up the saddle as he was offered an opportunity that was too good to pass up. Moreover, did you know that Jason Kenny’s wife is also a highly decorated Olympian?
Sir Jason Kenny retired after becoming Britain’s most decorated Olympian
As per Mirror, Sir Jason Kenny is a seven-time Olympic champion. The track cyclist has a total of 9 Olympic medals, including seven gold, and two silvers, which he won over four Olympic Games.
Thanks to his incredible career, Sir Kenny has earned two titles, the first as Britain’s most decorated Olympian, and the second as the most decorated cyclist in Olympic history, as per the Olympic website.
The former athlete’s last gold medal was won at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in the men’s Keirin, overtaking the previous title holder, Bradley Wiggins, who won 8 medals, including 5 gold.
Kenny’s cycling career began when he was just 18 years old at the 2006 UCI Junior World Track Cycling Championships, where he won three gold medals. After partaking in four Olympic Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020), Sir Kenny announced his retirement as a new opportunity came his way.
Why did Sir Jason Kenny retire?
Sir Kenney was preparing for the Paris Olympics when an opening to be the new coach of Britain's sprint team was advertised. He took the position with the hope of claiming the podium in every men’s sprint, as Team GB has done since Beijing 2008, as per the Olympic’s website.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast shortly after he got his new job, the Olympian champion expressed some sadness at not competing at Paris 2024, which has stars like Molly Caudery. However, he knows that if he competed, he may not be able to be the team’s coach in a few years time:
A massive part of me would love to continue and try to get to Paris and I’m a little sad in a way to not do that.
The opportunity at British Cycling to be a coach might not be there in three years. I thought I’d take it now.
He also hinted that his form is not as great as it used to be as he said he has more 'aches' these days. He also said:
It wasn’t an easy decision. I genuinely wanted to carry on to Paris, but I creak quite a lot these days.
Sir Jason Kenney is married to Laura Trott, Britain’s most successful female Olympian
Following his retirement his wife, who is also a decorated athlete, Dame Laura Kenny followed suite.
As per The Independent, Laura has won five Olympic gold medals. She won the team pursuit and omnium double at London 2012 and Rio 2016 while she was still Laura Trott.
Laura and Katie Archibald won the Madison at Tokyo 2020, which meant that Dame Laura became the first British woman to win three Olympic gold medals at three separate games. Laura Kenny has won a total of six Olympic medals, five gold and one silver.
Like her husband, Laura retired following the Tokyo 2020 Games. She ended her career with seven World Championships, 13 European Championships and two Commonwealth Games gold medals, and 42 total medals across those events and the Olympics.
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Sources used:
Mirror: ‘Jason Kenny retires from cycling as Britain's most decorated Olympian begins coaching job’
Olympics.com: ‘Team GB legend Jason Kenny: Most decorated Olympic cyclist announces retirement’
The Independent: ‘Dame Laura and Sir Jason Kenny: A look at GB’s most decorated Olympic couple
