FORMER WORLD SILVER medallist Olive Loughnane has retired from competitive athletics at the age of 37.
After an international career which spanned over 12 years and took in four Olympic Games, Loughnane announced her decision to call it quits this morning.
“To retire from athletics was always going to be a tough decision for me,” the Loughrea AC walker said. “I can be happy with everything I have achieved and I have no regrets.”
Loughnane’s finest hour came at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin where she won silver in the 20km walk in a time of 1:28:58.
She made her Olympic debut in 2000 in Sydney and also represented Ireland in Athens, Beijing and most recently London. Her best Olympic finish came in 2008 where she finished seventh in the 20km walk in a personal best time of 1:27:45.
“She has been one of Ireland’s best,” John Foley, chief executive of Athletics Ireland said today.
