Friday 15 July 2016 13:34, UK
Former World Championship medallist Jenny Meadows has confirmed her retirement after missing out on selection for the Rio Olympics.
The 35-year-old from Wigan, who won 800 metres bronze at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, competed for the last time in the European Championships semi-final in Amsterdam last week.
Meadows finished sixth after suffering a hamstring injury which ended both her hopes of making the final and clinching a place in Britain's athletics squad for the Games.
"It's not the way I wanted to finish my career," admitted the 2011 European indoor 800m champion. "I was really nervous before that race because I thought I could qualify for the final. It shows that I still wanted it."
Meadows, who competed in the Beijing Olympics but was overlooked for London 2012 after suffering an Achilles injury, thanked her fans for their support on her official website.
"I have been truly overwhelmed with the amount of support and well wishes that people have given me and have enjoyed both reading and talking about so many memories that people have chosen to share with me," wrote Meadows.
"I leave the sport with my own memories, some of course good and others not so, however I appreciate the journey that I have been on.
"It was a long way, it lasted some 28 years, but as I embark on the future I hold such optimism about my own future and really hope that I can continue to contribute towards a positive future of the sport."
