Jenny Simpson: Olympic medallist leaves hospital after cardiac arrest

Olympic medallist Jenny Simpson has been released from hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest while running at an event last week.

The 39-year-old American collapsed while pacing a mile group at a Sir Walter Miler pop-up event in Raleigh, North Carolina.

A statement by her employer Fleet Feet said that Simpson, who became the 1500m world champion in 2011 and won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will continue her recovery in North Carolina with her husband.

It revealed that she “suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and received immediate lifesaving care, including CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED)”.

Simpson was transported to UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh before being transferred to Duke University Hospital, from where she has been discharged.

Simpson retired from competitive running at the end of the 2024 season and became Fleet Feet’s first chief running officer earlier this year.

The statement added:, external “Jenny and her family are deeply grateful to the first responders, the medical teams at UNC Rex Hospital and Duke University Hospital, and everyone who has cared for her over the past nine days.

“Their skill, compassion and extraordinary care have meant more than words can express.

“Jenny is sincerely grateful for the countless messages, prayers, encouragement and acts of kindness she has received from friends, colleagues, competitors and runners around the world, and she looks forward to connecting with the community in time.”