Vicky Wright: Team GB's curling gold medallist announces retirement
- Published
Wright's 89% game in GB's semi-final against Sweden propelled them into the final where they beat Japan 10-3
Vicky Wright, part of the team that won Great Britain's first curling Olympic gold in 20 years, has retired.
Wright made her Olympic debut as a second as GB won gold at February's Winter Games in Beijing.
The 28-year-old Scot says she now plans to focus on her family and nursing career.
"Curling has taken me to many corners of the world. I will be forever grateful for the lifelong friends I have made," she said.
Wright, who returned to the NHS frontline as a nurse during the Covid-19 pandemic, has competed in curling since she was a junior.
She described her tough schedule of hospital night shifts and Olympic training as "a privilege not a chore".
"My journey to this point has not been without challenges, mainly balancing the demands of training full time with working a few shifts per week in a highly pressured hospital environment," she said.
"Having a strong perspective on life is something I pride myself on and I am incredibly proud of how I achieved my curling goals, particularly in this last year as an NHS Staff Nurse during a global pandemic."
In Beijing, Wright competed alongside experienced skipper Eve Muirhead, with whom she won European gold and silver medals, and three other Olympic debutants in Jennifer Dodds, Hailey Duff and Mili Smith.
After her victory, Wright returned to work at Forth Valley Hospital in Falkirk, where she received a hero's welcome.
"It took a lot of encouragement and persuasion to show Vicky she was one of the best players in the world," said Muirhead.
"She's someone who just cares so much about everyone."
Sport's transgender conundrum: What happens next as sport wrestles with a complex balance of inclusion, sporting fairness and safety?
How do you become a football manager? Former Preston North End, Leeds United and Sunderland gaffer lets us in on the secret
