Triathlon trio Brault, Sweetland, Yorke retiring from ITU circuit
Each represented Canada at 2016 Rio Olympics
Canadian Olympians Sarah-Anne Brault, Kirsten Sweetland and Andrew Yorke are retiring from racing on the International Triathlon Union circuit.
All three athletes represented Canada at last summer's Rio Olympics.
Sweetland, a 28-year-old from Victoria, battled through a series of career-threatening injuries, including Lyme Disease, just months after becoming the third Canadian to ever win a triathlon medal at the Commonwealth Games when she captured the silver in 2014.
She is the second Canadian ever to win a medal on the World Triathlon Series when she claimed a bronze in Hamburg, Germany in 2014.
"I was determined to get to the Olympics, but my silver medal at the Commonwealth Games is something I will cherish forever," said Sweetland. "All of my achievements that came after the years of injuries and hard periods were much more fulfilling than my successes early in my career. I am so proud I was able to stick through the tough times, and climb back to the top.
Big commitment
The 27-year-old Brault, from Victoria, racked up five, top-15 finishes in her career on the World Triathlon Series. The highlight was a fourth-place finish in Auckland, New Zealand. She also had two podium performances on the World Cup circuit.
"Retiring was a very hard decision and one that took a few months to make. In the end, I am not prepared to commit 100 per cent to another Olympic cycle so I knew it was time," said Brault.
Yorke, 28, finished fourth at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. He ended his career with a memorable Olympic race where he battled through serious injuries following a crash on the bike to cross the finish line.
"I had a lot of great accomplishments, but the best moments were the ones nobody sees — talking smack with the guys before a swim, or the long runs out in the woods. That is what I truly loved," said Yorke, whose career-best World Triathlon Series finish came in 2015 when he was eighth in Edmonton.