Junelle Bromfield, 28, Officially Announces Retirement After Heartfelt Revelation About Olympic Dream

Two-time Olympian Junelle Bromfield has officially announced her retirement from track and field, revealing that achieving her lifelong dream of winning an Olympic medal did not bring the satisfaction she had anticipated.

The Jamaican sprinter, who won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is now shifting her focus to creative pursuits and life beyond the track.

Junelle Bromfield, 28, shared her decision in an exclusive interview on PEOPLE's WAG World series. She explained that the dream she had chased since she was eight years old felt different once it became a reality. A native of Jamaica, Junelle Bromfield represented her country at both the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Games.

Her career took off, and in 2016, she won four gold medals at the prestigious Girls and Boys Championship in Jamaica, a performance that positioned her for the Olympic team.

It was at the World Junior Championships that same year that she first crossed paths with her future husband, American sprinter Noah Lyles.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Junelle Bromfield achieved a major milestone, winning a bronze medal in the women’s 4x400m relay alongside teammates Roneisha McGregor, Janieve Russell, and Stacey-Ann Williams. However, the moment on the podium was surprisingly underwhelming for the then 22-year-old.

"This was a dream that I’ve been chasing since I was eight," she explained. "I got there at age 22, and for some reason, it did not feel fulfilling. It didn’t feel like something that I waited all my life for, trained for, and worked for."

Initially, Bromfield believed an individual medal might provide the fulfilment she was seeking, so she trained intensely for the 2024 Paris Games, where she competed in an individual event.

"I made it individually, got my own lane, and everything," she shared. "But even before going, I was like, ‘Yeah. I don’t think this was really my dream anymore.’ So, I don’t think it amounted to what I expected."

Bromfield reflected on the immense personal sacrifices the sport demanded, which contributed to her decision. The all-consuming nature of training meant missing significant family moments and feeling disconnected from loved ones.

A particularly difficult period came in 2021 while she was training for the Olympics. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away that same year. The demands of her career limited the time she could spend with her.

"All the time that I could spend with her was only on the weekends because I had to be commuting for like two and a half hours," she said. "You look at all of that, and you’re like, ‘It’s taking so much.’ And then you get to the big moments and it’s not what you expected."

Having officially announced her retirement from competitive running after the Paris Olympics, Junelle Bromfield is now exploring new goals and passions, ready to discover a life beyond the finish line.