After a sparkling 15-year career, world and European gold medallist Adam Gemili has announced his retirement from professional athletics.

Gemili was no stranger to the podium in the GB and NI vest, winning three World Championship medals – including 4x100m relay gold at London 2017 – and earning four European titles.

He will be remembered as one of Britain’s greatest 200m sprinters and hangs up his spikes sat fourth on the UK all-time list in the 200m with a personal best of 19.97s.

Gemili was European champion over 200m in 2014 and finished fourth at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

The Blackheath and Bromley Harrier also excelled over 100m, winning world junior gold in Barcelona in 2012 before becoming part of the illustrious sub-10 club when he ran 9.97s in 2015. He is one of few sprinters to break both the sub-10 and sub-20 barriers over 100m and 200m respectively, and the first British man to achieve the feat.

Gemili was also a regular part of British success in the 4x100m relay, with the Londoner on the second leg as Great Britain & Northern Ireland famously won world gold in 2017.

“I feel so content,” he said. “I am going to miss competing. I did that for 15 years, I did my best and now someone else can take that mantle and go forward.

“I am really pleased I have done it on my own terms. I could have gone for another season but what am I trying to prove? I am really happy with the career I have had.

“I have been at the top level of athletics for 15 years. People are lucky to get one Olympic cycle and I have been able to do this for three Olympic cycles.

“I have given my all now and I am ready for the next chapter in my life. Life can now really move forward and I am so excited for that.”

Gemili’s first international individual medal came as a junior, at the European Under-20 Championships in Tallinn. A silver medal in the 100m, alongside silver in the 4x100m relay, came whilst balancing potential careers in both athletics and football.

After stepping away from academy football a year later, 20-year-old Gemili became world junior champion in the 100m. His first senior call-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games soon followed and this kickstarted the impressive career that followed.
Gemili went on to represent his country at two further Olympic Games, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020

He said: “One of my closest (and toughest) moments was missing an Olympic 200m bronze in Rio by just three-thousandths of a second… it actually takes longer to blink.”

It wasn’t all smooth sailing having to battle with multiple injuries and some disappointing performances, but he always found a way to fight through the difficult times.

“It’s hard to put into words what an incredible journey it’s been. I feel so lucky to have lived my dream for so long and truly humbled by every moment along the way,” he added.