By Canadian Press

Canada’s Kaetlyn Osmond announces retirement from competitive figure skating

May 4, 2019 | 10:25 AM

OTTAWA — Canada’s Kaetlyn Osmond is going out on top.

She announced her retirement from competitive figure skating on Thursday, ending a career capped with a remarkable season that included two Olympic medals and a world title.

Osmond decided last summer to take the entire 2018-19 season off to evaluate her future plans. She performed on the cross-country “Thank You Canada Tour” with some of her teammates last fall but did not skate on the ISU circuit.

The three-time national champion leaves the sport as the country’s most decorated women’s singles skater.

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“I guess it’s officially out there for everyone to know,” Osmond posted on her Twitter feed. “I am no longer going to be competing. I’ve personally known this for a while, but to hear it officially announced, it doesn’t sound real. I am excited about future plans that I have, and I can’t wait to share them with you!”

Her world championship last March in Milan came a few weeks after she won singles bronze and team gold at the Pyeongchang Games.

Osmond became the first Canadian to win a women’s world figure skating title in 45 years and just the fourth overall. Barbara Ann Scott (1947, ’48), Petra Burka (1965) and Karen Magnussen (1973) were the only others to accomplish the feat.

Osmond, a 23-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., won world silver in 2017 in Helsinki. Teammate Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., took bronze that year, marking the first time that two Canadian women had shared the world championship podium.

“Competition has been such a rewarding part of my life,” Osmond said in a statement. “Having a purpose and accomplishing goals beyond my wildest dreams has been incredibly fulfilling. No words will ever describe the emotions competitions carry.

“I would like to thank my coaches, family, friends, and Skate Canada for all the support they have given me over the years. Leaving competition is terrifying, but I am excited to see what else life has to offer.”

Osmond, a resident of Brantford, Ont., broke out as a 16-year-old when she won Skate Canada in 2012 — her first senior ISU Grand Prix event — and she finished eighth in her world championship debut a year later. 

Injuries hampered her at times over the next few seasons.

She came back from a hamstring injury to win a Canadian title in early 2014 before taking team silver at the Sochi Olympics a month later. Osmond needed two surgeries after breaking her right fibula, costing her the 2014-15 season. 

She won a third Canadian title in 2017 and won Skate Canada that fall before taking bronze in the Grand Prix Final.

“It has been a pleasure to be a part of Kaetlyn’s amazing journey,” said Skate Canada high-performance director Mike Slipchuk. “She has done so much for skating in Canada and her dedication to the sport led her to three Olympic medals and a world championship title.

“Skate Canada is incredibly proud and grateful for Kaetlyn’s contribution to our national team and we wish her the best in her future endeavours.”

The Canadian Press