Martyn Irvine retires after failing to qualify for Rio 2016 Olympics
Tuesday 5 January 2016 13:50, UK
Former world champion Martyn Irvine has announced his retirement from competitive cycling after failing to qualify for this summer's Olympic Games.
Irvine, 30, made history in 2013 when he became the first Irish cyclist to win a world track title in 117 years, claiming gold in the scratch race in Belarus.
He also won medals at the European Championships, Commonwealth Games and other world events, but after failing to secure his place at Rio 2016 following a series of injuries, he has decided to call it a day.
"Missing out on the Olympics is a big part of it and I fell out of love with cycling," Irvine told the BBC.
Writing in his blog, he added: "As I sit here here now typing this it just feels right. I'm retiring from International competition. I was trying my best to not use the word 'retiring', but it's probably what's happening to me."
Irvine won silver in the scratch race at the 2014 World Championships in Colombia, but disappointed at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and has struggled to regain his form ever since.
"It just feels like a natural end," Irvine added. "For the last year, I've been racing and underperforming across the board. Frustration has been setting in all year and I'm sick of just turning up to bike races."
