MANCHESTER, England (AP) 鈥� British cyclist Jason Kenny, the country鈥檚 most decorated Olympian, has retired from racing and taken up a role as sprint coach for Britain鈥檚 team.
Kenny won seven gold medals 鈥� and nine medals in total 鈥� across four Olympic Games. No cyclist has won more.
鈥淚t鈥檚 almost impossible to comprehend the level of talent, dedication and resilience needed to top the podium seven times across four Olympic Games,鈥� said Stephen Park, British Cycling鈥檚 performance director.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled," Park added, 鈥渢hat we鈥檝e been able to hold on to all of that knowledge and experience as he embarks on his career as a coach.鈥�
With Kenny as coach, Britain鈥檚 cycling team will head to the Paris Olympics in 2024 looking to continue its record of finishing on the podium in every men鈥檚 sprint event since Beijing in 2008.
Kenny burst onto the international scene by winning three gold medals at the junior world track cycling championship in 2006.
He won his first Olympic gold at Beijing in the team sprint, and was second to compatriot Chris Hoy in the individual sprint, before taking both titles in London in 2012.
Kenny took a clean sweep of team sprint, individual sprint and keirin titles in the Rio Olympics in 2016 to match Hoy鈥檚 six Olympic golds.
Then, in Tokyo last year, Kenny took silver in the team sprint and claimed a seventh Olympic gold of his career in the keirin.
He was knighted in Queen Elizabeth II鈥檚 New Year honors list in December.
Kenny is married to fellow cyclist Laura Kenny, who has won five Olympic gold medals and a silver. That鈥檚 the most for a female British Olympian.
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The Associated Press
