Winter Olympics 2022: ‘I’ve led from the front’ - Bobsleigh’s British history-maker Montell Douglas ends career

Published 20/02/2022 at 09:00 GMT

Montell Douglas, who became the first woman to represent Team GB at both a Summer and Winter Olympics by competing in bobsleigh, 14 years after she also went to Beijing as a sprinter, has announced she is ending her elite sporting career. The 36-year-old finished 17th in the two-woman event with Mica McNeill.

Montell Douglas says she is ending her sporting career after making history by competing for Team GB as a sprinter and bobsledder at the Olympics

Image credit: Getty Images

After making history as the first British woman to represent Team GB at a Summer and Winter Olympics, Montell Douglas has announced she is retiring from elite sport.

The 36-year-old competed at Beijing 2022 in bobsleigh, teaming up with Mica McNeill to finish 17th in the two-woman event, 14 years after she represented Great Britain as a sprinter in the Chinese capital.

Douglas made her senior athletics debut at the 2007 European Championships and she helped GB reach the 4x100 metre relay final at the Games a year later. She is still the third quickest British sprinter to run the 100m, clocking 11.05 seconds in 2008, beaten only by Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita.

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She took up bobsleigh in 2016 to prolong her sporting career, going to Pyeongchang 2018 as a reserve before linking up with McNeill when Mica Moore switched back to sprinting.

"I’ve had the best time and a very long career," said Douglas.

"I never say never but I want to make an impact in sport in a different kind of way and add value.

"I’ve led from the front and made a little bit of history myself to show that you can do anything you put your mind to.

"Maybe I will not be on the block with a helmet on in the very near future but I’m hoping to stay in sport in some capacity."

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