ISTANBUL

After a successful 18-year career, two-time Olympic​​​​​​​ champion Alistair Brownlee on Thursday announced his retirement from triathlons.

"It’s time to close this chapter … This marks my transition from professional triathlon, a moment approached with both dread and excitement in equal measure," Brownlee, 36, said on X.

"Triathlon has profoundly shaped my life; I have dedicated nearly half of it to being a professional athlete, fulfilling my childhood dream and achieving far more than I ever dared to imagine. Why now? It feels right. I am happy and content, eager for what lies ahead. I find myself smiling because it happened, rather than crying because it’s over (to paraphrase Dr. Seuss)," he added.

Brownlee said he looks forward to embracing a slightly slower pace of life, but not without its own thrills: "There’s an exciting array of events, challenges, and adventures awaiting me – things I’ve always wanted to try but never had the chance to pursue."

He clinched the men's title at his home Games of London 2012, and defended the crown at Rio 2016, making him the only athlete to win two individual golds.

The British star was world champion in 2009 and 2011, and a four-time European champion.

He was also appointed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission in 2022, a role he said he will continue after retirement.