Whitfield first rose to prominence with a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games before he became the first ever male Olympic triathlon champion in Sydney the following year.

He followed that performance with another victory at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

After a disappointing 11th place at Athens in 2004 he then claimed the Olympic silver medal at Beijing 2008 following another stunning finish after lying outside the medals heading into the final kilometres.

His fourth Games in London last summer eventually proved a step too far as, after carrying the Canadian flag at the Opening Ceremony, a crash on the bike section of the course left him needing stitches and forced him to abandon the race.
 
With the sport being taken to new levels by the likes of Britain's London 2012 champion Alistair Brownlee, his brother Jonny, and Spain's reigning world champion Javier Gomez, Whitfield did not compete in the Canadian team in 2013 before confirming his retirement.  

Simon Whitfield crossing the line to win the first ever mens triathlon gold medal in London




However, in a career which illustrated remarkable levels of consistency Whitfield recorded 14 World Cup victories and eight top 10 finishes at various World Championships.

His last top level victory was in 2009 at a World Cup event in Des Moines, Iowa.

Whitfield, who is actively involved in entrepreneurial and consulting ventures with several companies, is planning to continue in this line of work as he makes the transition from a sporting to a working environment. 

He explained how much he has enjoyed the past 16 years but that he is also looking forward to the new challenges which lie ahead.

"I grew up dreaming of representing Canada at the Olympic Games, though I never imagined I would have the honour of wearing the Maple Leaf four times, winning two Olympic medals, and bearing the flag," he said.

'I am moving onto the next adventure with wonderful memories, friendships and experiences that I will hold close forever.

"But I am also looking forward to this new challenge - the opportunity to put much of what I've learned as an athlete toward design and innovation in sports entertainment."