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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Kieran Pender

Grace Brown’s historic double ensures she bows out on top of the cycling world

Grace Brown Australia Olympics Gold Olympics Paris Zurich
World champion Grace Brown of Australia dons the rainbow jersey on the podium.
Grace Brown capped her career by winning the women’s elite individual time trial at the Cycling World Championships in Zurich. Photograph: Peter Dejong/AP

One of the hardest things in elite sport is knowing when to quit. For athletes who strive to go faster, jump higher, break records and win more, quitting is an unnatural thought. The extraordinary level of determination required to reach the upper echelons of any sporting discipline makes choosing when to pull the pin an agonising decision.

All of which underscores how remarkable Grace Brown’s golden and in some ways premature swansong has been this year. The 32-year-old Australian announced in June that she would retire at the end of the season, despite being in career-best form.

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