Christine Nesbitt, speed skating star, announces retirement
Won Olympic gold in 2010
Canadian speed skating star Christine Nesbitt announced her retirement Thursday at a news conference at the Calgary Olympic Oval.
A tearful Nesbitt thanked teammates, coaches, friends and family for their support during her stellar career.
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Nesbitt, 30, won gold in the 1,000-metre event at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. She also earned a silver in the team pursuit at the 2006 Turin Games and owns eight world titles.
Nesbitt, who was born in Australia, grew up in London, Ont., and now lives in Calgary, told CBC Sports' Scott Russell that time away from the sport last season while she dealt with injuries gave her a new perspective.
Nesbitt also recalled her gold-medal win in Vancouver, during which she felt she wasn't skating well enough to win but decided to go all out anyway, if only to say she tried her best.
"Thank goodness I made that decision," she said.
Nesbitt also spoke about her ability to overcome the depression she felt when she was struggling on the ice.
"Channeling that sadness and those dark feelings... skating gave me a space to do that."