"I have decided to take my life off track" - Dafne Schippers announces retirement from athletics
Former world champion Dafne Schippers has hung up her spikes after having an extraordinary athletics career. Schippers, Who started as a heptathlon athlete, announced her retirement as a sprinter.
The Dutch athlete initially competed in heptathlon events where, in 2010, she clinched the World Junior Champion title and later went on to win a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.
Prior to the 2015 World Championships in Beijing and the 2016 Rio Olympics, Schippers announced her transition to sprinting. At the 2015 World Championships, she secured a gold in 200m, making it her first-ever senior world title. The Dutch sprinter also won a silver medal in the 100m at the same event.
Schippers took to social media to announce her retirement. She shared a video that was a compilation of the greatest moments from her athletics career.
"The race stops here," she captioned.
"As an athlete, you always know this day will come, that at one point, your career will be a moment in time—a collection of memories and hopefully medals," she wrote.
Schippers also extended her gratitude towards her family, team, fans, and sponsors who have been her constant support throughout.
"Today, I have decided to take my life off track to pursue and embrace whatever comes next, but not without saying a massive thank you for all the endless support. It has been a journey without regret. My family, my team, my fans, and my sponsors, you made it all worthwhile," Schippers expressed.
Dafne Schippers' exceptional performance at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics
Dafne Schippers achieved a remarkable feat at the 2015 World Championships by winning her first-ever senior world title and clinched the world title in the women's 200m.
Her performance in the championships improved after each round. She won the heats by clocking a spectacular 22.58 seconds and the semifinals with an easy lead, recording 22.36 seconds.
In the finals, Schippers left behind Elaine Thompson-Herah in a close finish clocking 21.36 seconds.
Schippers' timing at the 2015 World Championship set a championship record that stood until 2022 before Shericka Jackson broke it by running in 21.45 seconds, only to shatter it again at the 2023 WAC in Budapest by clocking an impressive 21.41 seconds.
Schippers' timing still stands as the European record and makes her the sixth-fastest woman in the 200m all-time list.