Tokyo Olympian and canoe sprint athlete Katie Reid has announced her retirement from international racing after a decade in the sport.
The 29-year-old made history on her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, as she was part of the first athlete cohort to compete in the C1 women’s 200m, which also made its Games debut in Japan.
The Dunfermline-born athlete finished 20th overall at the Sea Forest Waterway.
Katie was introduced to canoeing through the Girls4Gold programme in 2014, a campaign set up through UK Sport and UKSI to uncover talented female athletes who aspire to represent TeamGB at the Olympic Games.
The Forth Canoe Club athlete went on to represent Great Britain internationally across a ten-year period in the women’s canoe single and double.
Reflecting on her career, Katie said:
“It’s been a great ten years with lots of highs and some lows. I’ve met so many incredible people along the way.
“The camps, the trips away, the chats in the boat shed, those are the bits that stand out to me.
“I’ve also got to work with so many incredible coaches and practitioners and seen a lot of people grow over the ten years, alongside myself.
“I started as a shy, introverted person but over the years I’ve grown and developed confidence. I couldn’t be more thankful to the sport for that.”
Katie made her international debut at the 2015 U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Portugal, where she finished 10th after winning the C1W 200m B Final.
She went on to win her first medal on her senior international debut, winning women’s C1 200m bronze at the 2016 World Cup in Duisburg, Germany.
Katie backed that up two years later with a second World Cup bronze medal, again reaching the C1 women’s 200m podium in Duisburg.
She qualified for the Tokyo Games after finishing third at the 2021 European Olympic qualifier in Szeged, becoming the first canoe sprint athlete to represent TeamGB in women’s canoe.
“I achieved my childhood dreams of going to the Olympics and representing TeamGB,” she continued.
“At the time I couldn’t take it all in, but now looking back it’s so cool to set out to do something and achieve it.
“Being the first women’s canoe to represent TeamGB and achieving this with James (Train) meant a lot. We worked hard to get to that point and achieving our goal was amazing.
“Girls4Gold has enabled me to achieve my dreams and goals and I’m grateful for that opportunity and support over the years. I wouldn’t have changed it.
“I feel proud to have helped develop the sport. Women’s canoe internationally has rocketed and I’m delighted to have been part of that.
“I’ll definitely be looking to give back to the sport however that may look in the future.”
Senior Podium Coach, James Train said:
“Katie has had a brilliant career in canoeing and it has been a privilege to be part of that journey for so long.
“Katie’s work ethic and focus on continuous improvement has been incredible to see first-hand and is a brilliant example of what is required to progress and perform at the highest levels of our sport.
“I am certain that Katie will take these qualities forward into the next phase of her life and she will be successful in whatever she sets her sights on.”