Great Britain’s Keri-Anne Payne, a three-time Olympian and 2008 silver medalist in the open water 10k event, has decided to retire. She posted the news in a tweet containing a handwritten note Monday morning.
In Beijing, Payne competed in both IM events in the pool and then turned around and finished second in the open water 10k, just behind winner Larissa Ilchenko. She went on to win World titles in the 10k in both 2009 and 2011 before returning to the Olympic open water stage in 2012.
Competing in her home country, Payne finished just four tenths out of the medal picture in London and just four seconds behind gold medalist Eva Risztov. Four years later in Rio, Payne completed her Olympic career with a seventh-place finish in the 10k.
In a statement posted on TeamGB.com, Payne, 29, explained how grateful she was for all the support she received during her career.
“I’ve loved being part of the huge transformation in open water swimming. In 2008 I had to explain what my event was, four years later I walked out in front of 30,000 fans for my race at the London 2012 Olympic Games. That was my proudest sporting moment. I’m so grateful to all of the incredible coaches and support teams who have been part of my 18-year career. A massive thank you must also go to my family who have provided non-stop support, guidance and encouragement to chase my dreams of becoming an Olympian and World Champion.”
Great Champion sad to see her not gracing the H2O anymore