Olympic gold medallist Eve Muirhead retires from curling
Reigning Olympic gold medallist Eve Muirhead is stepping back from curling.
Muirhead goes out on top after claiming Great Britain’s lone gold medal at the Beijing Winter Games earlier this year.
The 32-year-old skip made the announcement Thursday on social media.
“After 15 years of international curling and 21 international titles I have made the hardest decision of my life to hang up my curling shoes and retire,” Muirhead said. “Throughout my career and like most athletes, I have experienced both the highest of the highs, (becoming an Olympic champion) and the lowest of lows and at times the future seemed very distant.
“It’s been an emotional journey, but a journey that I am incredibly proud of.”
Muirhead emerged as a young phenom in the sport winning four world junior gold medals including back-to-back as skip in 2008 and 2009.
She skipped Great Britain at the first of four consecutive Winter Olympic Games in 2010 and also earned bronze in 2014.
At age 22, Muirhead became the youngest skip to win the world women’s championship as well as a Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling title in 2013. Altogether, Muirhead won four Grand Slams taking the Players’ Championship three times and the Open once.
Muirhead is also the reigning world champion in mixed doubles capturing gold with Bobby Lammie in April.