Hansen calls it a day

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Hansen, who also previously held the world record in the triple jump, had hoped to compete at this weekend's Aviva National Championships and Olympic trials in her home city of Birmingham, but the 36-year-old America-born athlete has decided it is the right time to call time on a glittering career.

Hansen said: "It would have been great to have competed at the Aviva National Championships this weekend, but sadly it's not to be. I'm just not in a position to compete at the level I would want to."

The former European and Commonwealth Games champion has struggled to regain her best form after sustaining a serious knee injury at the 2004 European Cup final.

That effectively wrecked her Olympic ambitions for Athens, where she was expected to be a strong gold medal contender.

Now she has counted herself out of contention for Beijing, explaining: "It had just become clear to me that I can no longer train through the pain of injury as I used to do. It's time to take the pressure of myself.

"I can have few complaints though given what I have achieved in my career. Looking back, I held a world record and I earned an MBE as well as all the pleasure I have taken from being involved in athletics.

"I now hope to put some of that back as part of the Norwich Union performance advisor programme, but the immediate aim is to enjoy a rest and look forward to getting married next May."

UK Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos said: "Ashia Hansen will go down as a truly world-class performer who reached the absolute peak of her event. British athletics was lucky to have her.

"I know that she will be a success at whatever she decides to do next."