Olympic medalists Ashton Eaton, Brianne Theisen-Eaton announce retirements

Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen-Eaton released a joint statement Wednesday announcing their retirements from track and field.

The joint decision came just months after the married couple came away from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro with medals. Eaton successfully defended his gold in the decathlon, while Theisen-Eaton won bronze in the heptathlon.

"It's my time to depart from athletics; to do something new," Eaton, 28, said in a statement on weareeaton.com. "Frankly there isn't much more I want to do in sport. I gave the most physically robust years of my life to the discovery and pursuit of my limits in this domain."

Theisen-Eaton spoke about the grueling nature of competing, admitting that she was confused by her own disinterest after crossing the finish line in Rio, but avoided making a decision on her future until she overcame the exhaustion that comes with such a demanding sport.

"I took three months to completely get away," she said. "I didn't think about those feelings. I didn't want to make any decisions based on my mental exhaustion. But as the start of the 2017 season drew nearer, I felt more and more resistant to begin training."

Theisen-Eaton's bronze medal was her first, while Eaton became one of three athletes in his sport to win two gold medals, and set an Olympic record by accumulating 8893 points in 2016.

(Courtesy: ESPN Stats & Info)