British sprinter Louie Hinchliffe announces decision to turn professional

22-year-old Louie Hinchliffe, who helped Team GB to bronze in the men’s 4x100m relay at Paris 2024, has announced his decision to turn professional.

He intends to forego his final year of college at the University of Houston to chase his athletics dream full-time.

During his time in Texas, the Briton trained under nine-time Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis as he worked on honing his craft.

In his Olympic debut, he narrowly missed out on a place in the men’s 100m final but went on to win bronze in the team relay.

Hinchliffe ran the second leg, alongside Jeremiah Azu, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Zharnel Hughes to clock a time of 37.61 behind South Africa in silver, and champions Canada.

“What a season it’s been – I’ve experienced the highest of highs in my first year at the University of Houston,” he wrote on Instagram.

“I’ve become an NCAA champion, a National Champion, and an Olympic semi-finalist all whilst living out my dream as a Cougar.

“With that being said, after speaking with my family, I have decided to forego the remainder of my collegiate eligibility and embark on a career as a professional athlete.”

Hinchliffe went on to thank the Houston fans and his coaching, adding: “I hope that someday I can give back as much as you both have given to me.”