Ashia Hansen has announced her retirement at 36, just days before the Olympic Trials.
The former world record holder for the triple jump had wanted to try for the Beijing team but decided that she could no longer battle the injuries that have dogged her in recent years.
Hansen said: “It would have been great to have competed at the trials but sadly it’s not to be. I’m just not in a position to compete at the level I would want to.”
At her peak, Hansen was the best in the world. She won two world indoor titles and was the Commonwealth Champion twice. In 1998 she won gold at the European Indoor Championships and set a new world record of 15.16 metres. She was also awarded an MBE.
Danielle Sellwood, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
