Hosking (pictured top) earned her first international medal on the Olympic course at Eton Dorney at the 2006 World Championships - taking bronze in the lightweight quadruple sculls - and will be at the course again this weekend as an ambassador for the World Rowing Cup taking place there.

"I don't have any regrets," she told insidethegames.

"I didn't feel any pangs in March when I watched the first World Cup of the season in Sydney on television.

"I think that was one of the big things that confirmed I had made the right decision.

"After the Olympics I knew I had to take some time out from rowing to gain some perspective on what we had achieved and to explore whether or not I had the same drive to continue training and competing at the highest level.

"After much thought I have decided to retire."

Sophie Hosking (right) celebrates winning gold in the lightweight women's double sculls with Kat Copeland at the London 2012 Games

Hosking, who took up rowing aged 14 on a sports scholarship at Kingston Grammar School, added: "For me this is in no way a negative decision but recognition of a feeling of completion as an athlete.

"I feel that I put all of myself into the sport over the past twelve years and I am very proud of the athlete I became and the results that I achieved.

"I would like to thank everyone who has helped me in my career, to whom I owe so much of my success: my coach Paul Reedy for his inspiration, selfless dedication to our cause and unwavering belief and confidence in me; everyone that I have raced with over the years, especially my doubles partners Hester Goodsell and Kat Copeland, the memories you have given me over the years beneath all the television footage, I will always cherish; also my family who have been my absolute rock through all of the highs and lows."

Boats will be replaced by books for Hosking, who has a degree in Chemistry and Physics from Durham University, as she does a one-year law conversion course before taking up a training contract with Freshfields - a company that supports elite athletes into their second career.

Hosking, whose father David won a gold medal in the lightweight eight at the 1980 World Championships, was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 2013 for services to sport and will start her studies in September.

"I am really excited by this new challenge," she said.

"Law has always appealed to me and I really enjoyed the buzz of the environment and being surrounded by incredibly motivated people."


Will Lawes, senior partner of Freshfields said: "Sophie has achieved success at the very highest level in her sports career.

"In doing so Sophie has faced very demanding situations and learnt to cope with them exceptionally well.

"At Freshfields we believe that those skills are transferable, and we look forward to welcoming Sophie when she begins her training contract with us."

Hosking's London 2012 partner Copeland is taking a year off international racing, as are the heavyweight double sculls gold medallists Katherine Grainger - who is completing a PhD at King's College London - and Anna Watkins, who is pregnant.

And while Helen Glover, who won Britain's first gold of the Games in the pair with Heather Stanning, is competing this season, her partner, a Captain in the 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery, has taken a year out in which she has planned to be doing her training for some of the time on a rowing machine at Camp Bastion while serving in Afghanistan.

Contact the writer of this story at mike.rowbottom@insidethegames.biz


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