End of road for Szabo

Former world and Olympic champion Gabriela Szabo has confirmed her retirement.

Szabo, who won the the 5,000 metres at the Sydney Games in 2000, has not competed since pulling up during an indoor 3,000m race in Birmingham in February 2004.

Her decision comes 14 months after she announced she was to cancel her entire 2004 season without defending her Olympic title because of exhaustion.

Although Szabo has previously contemplated curtailing her career on the track, the 29-year-old had never fully committed to it and in January had talked about a possible return.

The athlete, who has been elected as the Romanian Athletic Federation vice-president, attributed her decision to having had enough of training and the stress of a 16-year career.