Olympian Jenny Simpson ends running career after cardiac arrest

Olympic medallist Jenny Simpson will not run again after a cardiac arrest led to the diagnosis of a rare inherited heart condition. The 39-year-old American said the illness makes a return to running dangerous and has brought her sporting career to an end.

Simpson collapsed in June while pacing a mile group at a temporary athletics event in North Carolina. She needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and an automated external defibrillator before being taken to UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh, where she suffered another cardiac arrest.

Doctors diagnosed Simpson with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, commonly known as ARVC. The genetic condition affects the proteins that connect heart muscle cells. As those cells can die and be replaced by fatty and scar tissue, the heart chambers may become thin and enlarged, reducing the organ’s ability to pump blood effectively.

Simpson described her heart as severely damaged and stunned after the incident, while her lungs also struggled. She said her diagnosis means returning to running would put her at risk, but she remains hopeful about the future and believes it can still have purpose.

The decision closes a distinguished career that included 1500m gold at the 2011 World Championships. Simpson also claimed silver in that event at the 2013 and 2017 World Championships before taking Olympic bronze at Rio 2016.

She retired from competitive racing at the end of the 2024 season. Reflecting on her career, Simpson expressed gratitude for the years spent training and competing, including the experience of winning medals while representing the United States. Her focus now turns away from competition after the medical emergency changed her plans for running.