Christine Ohuruogu retires from athletics
Last Updated: 30/06/18 11:21am
Former Olympic and world 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu has retired from athletics at the age of 34.
Ohuruogu's announcement signals the end of a successful career on the world stage which included following a 400m gold at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka with success at the Olympics in Beijing a year later.
Other notable achievements include regaining her world title in Moscow in 2013 and picking up a silver medal at a home Olympics inside London's Olympic Stadium in 2012.
"Today is the start of the British Championships and as I won't be there competing I feel it is a good time to formally announce my retirement from competitive athletics," said Ohurougu, who is doing a law degree at university.
"I didn't feel ready to retire after last season but a combination of my studies and a niggling injury restricted how much training I was able to do this year."
Ohuruogu is the only British female to have picked up medals at three successive Games and has won 11 relay medals at World and European level.
She won the bronze medal at the 4x400m relay at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, running the final leg, but missed out on selection for Great Britain's 400m team at last year's World Championships in London.
The London-born athlete began her career in 2001 and says she deems herself fortunate to have enjoyed such a long spell in the sport.
"Athletics has been my passion for so long and I am proud to call myself an athlete," she said. "I love the diversity of the events and the brilliant characters that come from them.
"I have truly met some wonderful people over the last 15 years, competing around the world, and I am blessed to call many of them friends."
