2 September 2013

Louise Hazel (Aston Moore) has today announced her retirement from heptathlon, the event where she has had great success. Hazel’s retirement comes just 12 months prior to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she would have been defending the heptathlon title she won a the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010. Hazel went on to compete at the Olympics in London last year where she finished 27th.

Whilst the Birchfield Harrier is hanging up her heptathlon spikes, she isn’t stepping away from the sport completely, admitting that she may not leave track and field behind altogether. “I’m retiring from the heptathlon but I’m not ruling out other sports; I just feel I can’t carry on in that discipline,” she said.

In the meantime, Hazel is turning her focus to the launch of her online fitness and nutrition regime, aptly named ‘The Podium Effect’. She is also looking to put more time into fulfilling her role as a ‘running champion’ for the British Heart Foundation. Hazel said she was looking forward to taking part in the Blenheim Palace 10km on October 6 in support of the British Heart Foundation.

“It’s very close to my heart following the passing of my father due to a heart condition in 2008. Heart disease is one of the biggest killers in the UK and I think it’s so unnecessary in this day and age with all the advances in technology and all the information we have about nutrition and diet and exercise that people are still getting it wrong. It also echoes the values behind The Podium Effect as well.”

Hazel retires as the seventh best GB & NI heptathlete of all time with a personal best score of 6166 set in 2011.