Australian Olympic gold medallist Chloe Dalton forced to retire from sport after back surgery
With a sporting career inspired by Cathy Freeman, fellow Olympic gold medallist and multi-sports star Chloe Dalton has been forced to retire due a back injury.
Part of the champion women's sevens rugby team at the 2016 Rio Games, Dalton also played AFLW for both Carlton and GWS over seven seasons, running out for 32 games.
Demonstrating her versatility and skill, she also played in the WNBL before switching her focus to rugby sevens.
Requiring back surgery after an injury ended her 2024 season with the Giants, Dalton said she's failed to recover sufficiently to resume her career.
'Retired. After a second back surgery nine months ago, my body hasn't bounced back to the point where I can play footy again,' the 31-year-old posted on social media.
'It's been a tricky process trying to come to terms with the fact that my sporting career has finished through injury.'
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Dalton posted a series of photos and told the story of her sporting journey; how she was determined to win an Olympic gold medal after watching Freeman's triumph at the Sydney Games.
When realising she wasn't good enough to make the Australian basketball team she set her sights on sevens.
'I went onto Google and typed in lists of Olympic sports,' Dalton wrote.
'Rugby sevens would be in the Olympics for the first time in 2016. I had just 2.5 years to learn how to play rugby and secure myself a ticket on that plane to Rio.
'... That seven-year-old girl got to stand on the podium and have her very own Olympic gold medal put around her neck.'
Dalton said that she then saw AFLW on television and, although she didn't know the rules, wanted to play.
Joining the Blues in 2018, she was part of Carlton's grand final team a year later.
She decided to switch back to sevens to compete at the Tokyo Olympics but shattered her cheekbone four weeks out from the Games.
After launching The Female Athlete Project, which is a platform to highlight the sporting achievements of women, she then resumed her AFLW career with GWS but injuries restricted her to just 16 games across four seasons.
Dalton became a mother with partner Riley giving birth to son Fred last November.
''What's next' seems to be the question people ask when you say you're retiring,' she wrote.
'Number one is being a mum to Fred with Riles. He is my greatest joy.'
After announcing her retirement the Giants congratulated Dalton her achievements and contribution.
'Chloe's impact both on and off the field for the Giants has been profound and she'll leave a lasting legacy with her teammates, coaches and staff,' GWS women's football boss Alison Zell said.
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"What's not to like about some of those wonderful clubs you could play against and some of those wonderful venues in the summer time as well? "I've seen the feedback over the last couple of weeks from various people ... and it was enormously positive. But we're focused now on this tour. "We haven't made any decisions to go in that direction yet."
