Who is Dame Laura Kenny and when did she retire from cycling?

LAURA KENNY is the most successful female cyclist in Olympic history and one of Britain’s greatest ever athletes.

The 32-year-old star announced her retirement from the sport on March 18, 2024, marking the end of a medal-filled career.

PA:Press Association

Who is Dame Laura Kenny?

Laura Kenny was born in Harlow, Essex, on April 24 1992.

A celebrated sporting career probably wasn’t on the cards for her when she was diagnosed with asthma shortly after her birth.

She competed in trampolining tournaments while she was growing up but was forced to abandon the sport due to respiratory problems.

Laura and her sister then joined their mother, who took up cycling in order to lose weight and the rest is history.

When did Dame Laura Kenny retire from cycling?

Kenny announced her decision to retire from Cycling on March 18, 2024.

She told BBC Breakfast: “I always knew deep down I would know when was the right time.

“I have had an absolute blast but now is the time for me to hang that bike up.”

Laura continued: “It’s been in my head a little while, the sacrifices of leaving the children and your family at home is really quite big and it really is a big decision to make.

“More and more, I was struggling to do that. More people asking me what races was I doing, what training camps was I going on – I didn’t want to go ultimately and that’s what it came down to.

“I knew the minute I was getting those feelings. Once I said to Jase, ‘I don’t think I want to ride a bike anymore’, I started to feel relief.”

What medals has Dame Laura Kenny won?

During her spectacular career, Kenny won gold in the omnium and team pursuit at both London 2012 and Rio 2016.

She went on to win the Madison with Katie Archibald at Tokyo 2020, as well as a silver in the team pursuit.

Those five gold medals make her the most successful female British Olympian ever – trailing only Jason Kenny, Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins.

The star also claimed seven gold medals at the World Championships and another 14 at the European Championships.

Who is Dame Laura Kenny married to?

Kenny married to fellow Olympic legend Jason in September 2016.

Her proud dad Adrian Trott announced the news of the ceremony at the 17th-century Hilltop Country House in Cheshire on Twitter.

The star looked gorgeous as she grinned in a beautiful white gown, while her seven-time gold husband looked joyful by her side.

Jason won 28 major medals in total during his career, with three additional golds at the World Championships and one at the European Championships.

He is the most successful British Olympian ever, with seven gold medals.

Does Dame Laura Kenny have children?

Cycling’s golden couple sent fans into a frenzy by revealing they were expecting their first baby in a cryptic Instagram post.

Laura posted a photo of an adorable green child’s bike next to two adult ones, even accompanying the snap with a small heart.

Six times world champion Jason replied to his wife’s post on Twitter with a picture of a leaflet that featured on The Simpson’s saying “so you’ve ruined your life”.

On August 23, 2017, Albert Louie Kenny was born at a weight of 8lb 12.5oz.

Kenny suffered a miscarriage in 2021 and then months later an ectopic pregnancy before their second child, a boy called Monty, was born in 2023.