By PDX People

PORTLAND, Ore. – There’s no doubt that Ashton Eaton is one of the greatest track and field athletes with a Portland Oregon connection and now at the age of 28 he’s ready to hang up his track shoes and do something different.

This week Ashton Eaton and his wife Brianne announced their retirements from athletics and it’s the right place and the right time for them both to step away from athletics considering that they both have dominated their respective sports and have nothing left to prove.

Leaving Track & Field on Top

If you’re familiar with track and field athletics you know that competitors like Ashton and Brianne literally go through hell training for their next events and with the next Olympics just 3 years away in 2020 they were both faced with the decision of continuing to train, compete in individual events, or leave track and field on top.

Ashton and Brianne are not alone in retiring from athletics since Michael Phelps recently retired and it’s likely that Usain Bolt will be moving on with his life when he retires as well.

What’s Next for Ashton Eaton?

Since getting married in 2013, Ashton Eaton has been constantly on the go training and competing in various destinations around the world so it’s likely that he’s looking forward to spending some quality time with his wife and turning his attention to the next stage of his life.

One thing is for certain, both Ashton and Brianne have developed their last name into a globally recognized brand that will continue to be a symbol of excellence in track and field athletics long after they are retired and it’s likely that we may continue to see them involved in track and field athletics, to some capacity, giving back to the sport and future generations of competitors.