David Storl Retires: Two-Time World Shot Put Champion Bids Farewell
Revered Shot Put Champion David Storl Announces Retirement after Illustrious 15-Year Career
London, UK – August 15, 2023 – In a move that has resonated throughout the shot put community, two-time world champion David Storl has officially announced his retirement from the sport, bringing an end to an exceptional international career that spanned over 15 years.
Storl’s achievements are nothing short of remarkable. During his illustrious tenure, he amassed an astonishing 19 medals at global and continental championships, including two World Championship titles in 2011 and 2013, as well as three outdoor European titles and a European indoor gold medal.
Remarkably, Storl is one of the few athletes to have secured world titles at the U18, U20, and senior levels, showcasing his remarkable talent and consistency from a young age. His breakthrough moment came in 2011 when, at just 21 years old, he became the youngest man in history to win a World Championship shot put title in Daegu.
The German prodigy went on to successfully defend his world crown two years later in 2013, cementing his status as one of the preeminent shot put athletes of his generation. In the intervening years, he added a European title in 2012, as well as silver medals at the Olympic Games and World Indoor Championships that same year.
Storl’s trophy cabinet continued to expand, as he claimed the European title in 2014 and 2016, along with the European indoor title in 2015. At the world level, he earned further silver medals at the 2014 and 2018 World Indoor Championships, and the 2015 World Championships.
His final major championships medal came at the 2019 European Indoor Championships, where he claimed a silver medal. Sadly, a herniated disc in 2021 hampered his ability to train and compete in recent years, leading to the difficult decision to step away from the sport.
“There’s not one single highlight to point to,” Storl reflected. “I’ve just had a great time and it’s a culmination of memories and moments you capture and reflect on afterwards that I will try and take with me.”
Storl’s outstanding career is marked by a remarkable level of achievement, highlighted by his status as one of the few athletes to have won world titles at the youth, junior, and senior levels. His contributions to the sport will be long remembered, and his legacy as a true shot put great is assured.
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