Who is Katy Marchant? Olympic gold medallist retires at 33 ahead of LA28 Olympics to return to family farm with husband Rob

Katy Marchant has announced her retirement from professional cycling at the age of 33. The Leeds-born track cyclist leaves the sport after a career filled with Olympic, World Championship and European success. Her biggest achievement came at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she won gold as part of Great Britain’s women’s team sprint squad.Marchant also won an Olympic bronze medal in the individual sprint at Rio 2016. After 13 years at the top level, the mother of two has decided not to continue chasing a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Instead, she will spend more time with her husband Rob and their children on the family farm.Who is Katy Marchant?Katy Marchant was one of Britain’s leading track cyclists for more than a decade. She represented Team GB at three Olympic Games and collected medals across some of the biggest competitions in the sport.Her first Olympic medal came at Rio 2016. Marchant won bronze in the individual sprint and established herself as one of Britain’s leading track sprinters.Eight years later, she reached another major milestone at Paris 2024. Marchant helped Great Britain win gold in the women’s team sprint. The victory completed one of the biggest goals of her career.Her successful 2024 campaign did not end with Olympic gold. Marchant also won gold medals at the World Championships and European Championships.However, her career was also marked by a serious crash in late 2024. She later battled back to professional cycling.Marchant continued competing after becoming a mother of two. She had given birth to her second son a year before this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.At the 2026 Commonwealth Games, she won silver in the team sprint. But the event also gave her a feeling that her professional career could be coming to an end.Marchant said, “I’ve done this for 13 years, I am 33, and I have achieved more than I could have dreamt of.”She also explained that retirement had become clear to her, “When I thought about retirement in the past, I said to myself: ‘You’ll know when you know. You’ll just know.’ And guys, I know.”Marchant admitted there were discussions about continuing until LA 2028. However, she did not want to make the sacrifices required for another Olympic cycle.“I’m incredibly proud of where I have got to and what I have done. I don’t want to keep making those choices to do what it takes to get to LA”, she said.Her decision became clearer during the Commonwealth Games. She told team-mate Emma Finucane about her feelings and wanted to enjoy every moment if it was her final competition.Now, her attention will turn towards life away from elite cycling. Marchant plans to spend more time on the family farm, which is run by her husband Rob.Her next chapter may be different, but Marchant leaves professional cycling with Olympic gold, multiple major medals and 13 years of memories at the highest level.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.