Reigning U.S. champion Mariah Bell announces her retirement: 'My heart is so full'

American figure skater Mariah Bell has taken her last bow.

The reigning U.S. champion, who made her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 at age 25, has retired from the sport at 26, revealing the news in an Instagram post.

"My heart is so full," Bell wrote on Wednesday evening (12 October). "This journey was hard and I didn't always like it but I did always love it. All of these experiences made me the person I am."

She continued: "I've always strived to be true to myself and not make excuses when things did not go my way and be thankful when they did. I hope others may find inspiration in my career."

Bell was known for her moving and artistically inspired skating, namely her "Hallelujah" free skate which she brought back for the Olympic season having used it in 2019-20. She won her first U.S. title in January to earn her way onto the American team for the Winter Games, then placed 10th in Beijing.

She would go on to finish in fourth place at the World Championships in Montpellier following the Olympics.

Bell: 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart'

Bell had long been a fan favourite who had fallen short of the Games in two previous attempts, in 2014 and 2018. She was one of the favourites to make the team in 2018, but faltered to a fifth-place finish at the U.S. Championships.

Following that season, Bell eventually enlisted friend and former training mate Adam Rippon as a co-coach alongside Rafael Arutunian, the team coming together to reach the Games in Beijing.

She won Skate America during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, while claiming two more Grand Prix podium finishes the season prior, in 2019-20. She was a four-time medallist at her domestic championships - qualifying for four World Championships, the first in 2017.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone that supported me," she added in her post. "You made my journey so much sweeter.

"You have grown so much in the last few years," commented Rippon on the Instagram post. "I'm so proud of you and so excited to see all the incredible things you'll do next." 

In March, Bell wrote an essay for Olympics.com about her Beijing experience: "It's like a heartache feeling because you just want it so badly," she shared. "That’s what experience has taught me: I know all the work that I've put in and the sacrifices that I've made to achieve all the dreams that I have."

Bell did not specify what she planned to do next.