Paris - Ashton Eaton, the United States' double Olympic decathlon champion, announced his retirement from athletics on Wednesday at the age of 28.
"I give everything to the decathlon. I did all I could. Thank u for making it the best time of my life. I'm retiring," Eaton wrote on Twitter.
Eaton won gold in the decathlon in London in 2012 before retaining his title in Rio last year. He also won world championship gold in Moscow in 2013 and in Beijing in 2015.
He is just the third man to win back-to-back Olympic golds in the discipline, following in the footsteps of his compatriot Bob Mathias (1948, 1952) and Britain's Daley Thompson (1980, 1984).
Eaton's wife, the Canadian heptathlete Brianne Theisen-Eaton, also announced her retirement on Wednesday.
"My passions and interests have changed. Track has given me so much, but it's time to retire. Thank you for the journey," wrote the 28-year-old, a two-time world silver medallist who also won bronze in Rio.