Three-Time Olympian Kim Smith Announces Retirement

Three-Time Olympian Kim Smith Announces Retirement

New Zealand Olympian Kim Smith announced her retirement from professional running on Wednesday, citing a foot injury which has affected her training for several years.

Feb 22, 2017 by Taylor Dutch
Three-Time Olympian Kim Smith Announces Retirement
New Zealand Olympian Kim Smith announced her retirement from professional running on Wednesday, citing a foot injury that has affected her training for several years.

"Since undergoing foot surgery (after rupturing a tendon in the foot) in 2014 my feet have never been the same," Smith, 35, told Athletics New Zealand. "I just can't do what I want to (in terms of training), which will allow me to race at the level I want to.

"My body just can't handle it. Mentally it was very hard to race poorly. It was just not enjoyable anymore."



Smith is also four months pregnant with her second child, which she says made the decision easier.

For the past several years, Smith has endured immense medical challenges. In the span of two years, Smith had surgery on her foot, gave birth to her first child, and developed a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. But despite the hardships, Smith recovered and made her comeback to competition at the 2016 Stanford Invitational where she finished third in the 5K with a 15:32 performance. She went on to run six top 10 finishes on the professional road running circuit.



During the span of her illustrious career, Smith claimed NCAA titles in the indoor 3K, outdoor 5K and in cross country while competing under the tutelage of coach Ray Treacy at Providence College. Treacy continued to coach Smith throughout her professional career in which she competed in the 5K at the 2004 Olympics, the 10K at the 2008 Olympics, and the marathon at the 2012 Games. She also holds 11 New Zealand national records, including every outdoor mark from the 3K to the marathon.

After running her 14:49 national record in the 5K at the 2007 Rome Diamond League meeting, FloTrack founder Mark Floreani paced Smith through a workout of 8x600m at a track in Leuven, Belgium.

Smith's last few years were focused on the marathon distance after notching a stellar debut of 2:25:21 at the 2010 London Marathon. She later claimed three top six finishes at the New York City Marathon and a 14th-place finish at the 2012 Games in London.

Although Smith is walking away from competition, she wants to stay involved in the sport by coaching at some point in the future.

"I can't imagine what I would be doing now if I hadn't made the choice to be a runner," Smith said. "Running has allowed me to travel the world and to be able to do so many things."