Matthew Glaetzer has called time on his 15-year career, with the Australian track cycling veteran switching to a new career as a firefighter.
Glaetzer was one of the world's top track sprinters over a sustained period, representing Australia at four Olympic Games and winning two bronze medals.
It was only at Paris in 2024, in his fourth Olympics appearance, that Glaetzer bagged those medals, after a frustrating string of fourth and fifth-placed finishes over the years.
He said his bronze medals in the Team Sprint and then the Keirin felt like gold, and they proved to be the last competitive act of his career; on Wednesday, Glaetzer formally announced his retirement from the sport.
"After more than a decade on the world stage, it’s time to close this chapter. From chasing a dream as a kid to representing Australia across four Olympic Games, this sport has given me more than I could have ever imagined," Glaetzer said.
Glaetzer was described as a "track cycling sprint icon" by the national federation AusCycling on Wednesday. As well as those two Olympic medals, he also earned three World Championship titles, as part of triumphant Team Sprint teams in 2012 and 2022, and with a solo success in the Individual Sprint in 2018.
He also claimed five Commonwealth Games titles amid a total major international medal haul of 18. Glaetzer's path was complicated by a thyroid cancer diagnosis in 2019, but he recovered to take part in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, with AusCycling's Gracie Elvin paying tribute to his 'resilience, determination, and generous spirit'.
"There were incredible highs, tough setbacks and moments that tested everything but that’s what made the journey so meaningful. From World Championship titles to Commonwealth Games Gold and finally standing on the Olympic podium not once, but twice in Paris... it’s been a ride I’ll never forget," Glaetzer said.
"I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved, but even more grateful for the people who made it possible along the way. To my coaches, teammates, support staff, sponsors, family and everyone who’s backed me, thank you."
Fighting fires
Glaetzer has already begun his second professional life, starting work as a firefighter with the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service.
"As many would know, I have been working towards a new career as a firefighter and this year I have been fortunate to commence full-time employment in that role," Glaetzer said.
"Thank you again for everything. I am excited to embrace this next chapter and continue serving the community through my new career with the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service."
Glaetzer is not the first former professional cyclist to become a firefighter, with the former US road pro Tyler Farrar tackling blazes in Washington ever since his racing retirement in 2017.
"There are a lot of similarities, culturally. That’s why I like it," Farrar told Cyclingnews in a 2020 interview. "There’s a team atmosphere and you have your own crew and your station. That’s similar to being on a team bus but the job is totally different."
READ MORE | Firefighter Farrar: From one dream job to another
