Olympic gold medalist Hanson announces retirement

Hobart( Australia) Nov 20: Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Brooke Hanson announced her retirement today, less than nine months before the start of the Beijing Olympics.

The 29-year-old Australian said she had decided to quit after struggling to rediscover her motivation for training since suffering an electric shock in a spa pool earlier this year.

''I now know that my heart, my mind and my body have decided it is time for the next chapter in my life,'' she told reporters.

Hanson won a silver medal in the 100 metres breaststroke at the 2004 Athens Olympics and was also awarded a gold for swimming a heat for the Australian team that won the 4x100 medley relay.

She was named as the outstanding female swimmer at the short-course world championships in Indianapolis in 2004 after winning a record six titles.

She did not make the Australian team for this year's world championships in Melbourne but was hoping to be selected for Beijing.

UNI