Australian track sprinter Stephanie Morton has announced her immediate retirement from the sport, admitting that the four-time world champion wanted to represent her country "one more time" but the global situation surrounding COVID-19 prevented that.

"It was not a decision I took lightly, and thankfully I had the support of the Australian Cycling team throughout, along with my family and close friends," Morton said in a press release issued by AusCycling on Wednesday.

Morton was referring to the difficulties caused by this year's coronavirus pandemic, including the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, in which she would have participated, to next summer. [Therefore, this decision took eight months. I had to think about what was best for me. But even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the shifting of the tournament dates, I had been saying that the Tokyo tournament would not define me, win or lose"

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"In an ideal world, I would have loved to be out there in green and gold one more time, but we are no longer in an ideal world," Morton said.

"We've had a global pandemic, and even if the worst thing that could happen to me was to miss a bike race, I feel okay with that."

Morton tandemed with the visually impaired Felicity Johnson to win gold in the 1km time trial at the 2011 UCI Para Cycling Track World Championships in Montichiari, Italy.

Morton and Johnson then defended their time trial title, winning the tandem sprint at the 2012 World Championships in Carson, LA, and the time trial gold at the 2012 Paralympics in London. As a result, they were awarded the Order of Australia (OAM).

Morton then shifted his focus to individual and team sprint events, winning numerous titles at national and Oceania championships over the next few years, and in 2014, he won gold in the sprint event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in his hometown of Gold Coast, Australia, Morton won three gold medals in sprint, keirin, and team sprint. Morton and McCulloch then became team sprint world champions at the 2019 Track World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland.

"I've had a very amazing career," Morton said. 'I've had a lot of favorite moments over the last 15 years. I think winning three gold medals in front of my home crowd at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games ranks up there with being World Champion with "Carlz" in 2019."

Morton thanked the Australian Cycling team (performance director Simon Jones, sprint coach Nick Fleiger, staff, past and present teammates), and his family, friends, and supporters.

"I have made friendships that will last a lifetime, shared amazing experiences, and made me who I am today.

Morton is now beginning a career outside of cycling, using the college degrees in criminology and criminal justice he studied while competing in track cycling at the highest level.

"I always had a plan after cycling. You have to." I studied so that when the time came to enter the "real world," I would be at the starting line right away.

"Cycling has given me many accomplishments, but cycling, and being an elite athlete, has given me the ability to push myself and always strive to be the best I can be.

"I begin my new career next month." "I am very excited to bring the skills I gained as an athlete into the working world."

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