Britain’s Tiffany Porter, who claimed four world medals and a European title during her successful hurdles career, has retired from competitive athletics.
The 34-year-old, holder of the British 60m hurdles and 100m hurdles records, announced her retirement on Saturday (5) and added that she was excited for the next chapter, which begins with her leading the on-field presentations of athletes at this weekend’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting.
Having discovered her sprint ability while at school, Porter was later introduced to the hurdles and her performances earned her a scholarship to the University of Michigan. While there, Porter – then competing under her maiden name of Ofili – claimed five consecutive NCAA titles and bronze in the 100m hurdles at the 2006 World U20 Championships in Beijing.
“In elementary school I always looked forward to field day because it was an opportunity for us to meet on a ‘grand scale’,” reflected Porter in her ‘love letter to track and field’, published to coincide with her retirement.
“I would race (and beat) all the other boys and girls my age, and then be rewarded with ice cream after. That’s when I learned that I had a deep love for competing and the adrenaline rush was addictive.”
Her 12-year professional career would see her go on to win three world indoor 60m hurdles medals – claiming silver in Istanbul in 2012 and bronze in both Sopot in 2014 and Portland in 2016 – as well as 100m hurdles bronze at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.
Porter became the European 100m hurdles champion in 2014, adding a bronze to her collection in Amsterdam in 2016. Her two European indoor medals were claimed a decade apart – her silver secured in Paris in 2011 and her bronze achieved in Torun last year.
A three-time Olympian, Porter reached the semifinals on her debut in London in 2012 and placed seventh in the final in Rio four years later. She and her husband Jeff – a fellow Olympian and coach to Porter in the latter stages of her career – welcomed the arrival of their daughter Chidera in 2019 and Porter returned to the sport to qualify for her third Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she made the semifinals.
“I competed in my third and final Olympic Games in August 2021,” Porter wrote. “That feat was the culmination of countless hours of work, sacrifice, dedication, perseverance, and heart. Attending the Tokyo Olympic Games, this time knowing my child was watching, is a moment that I will never forget.”
Porter ran her British 60m hurdles record of 7.80 when claiming her European indoor silver in 2011 and her national 100m hurdles record of 12.51 in 2014. That same year she claimed Commonwealth Games silver in Glasgow.
Porter also worked as a pharmacist alongside her athletics career, having earned her doctorate in pharmacy while at the University of Michigan.
