Drechsler opted out of Olympics due to her recent poor form

Berlin, July 8 (Reuters): Double Olympic long jump champion Heike Drechsler of Germany has pulled out of next month’s Athens Games and decided to finish her distinguished career at the end of the season.

Drechsler, 39, won the Olympic title in 1992 and 2000 but has decided to opt out of the Games because of her current poor form.

She has not jumped beyond the Olympic qualifying mark this year.

“I accept that my performance at the moment is not enough for the required distance,” Drechsler said on Thursday.

“Unfortunately I just cannot jump for the title whether at national or international level. So I have to give up my title plans and also my Olympic preparation.

“On the one hand, that makes me very unhappy because I still have a good feeling. On the other hand, it suits me for the remaining competitions that I won’t be measured on standards and distances.”

At the age of 18 while competing for East Germany, Dreschler won the long jump gold medal at the inaugural 1983 world championships in Helsinki. She was the youngest gold medallist at the championships.

She then won 27 successive long jump competitions before she was injured at the 1987 Rome world championships.

In the previous year, Drechsler had emerged as a world class sprinter, equalling compatriot Marita Koch’s world 200m record.

She also set a world junior heptathlon record in 1981.

Drechsler won the long jump title at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics but missed the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 1999 Seville world championships through injury.

She returned in triumph at the 2000 Sydney Games, winning her second Olympic gold to end Marion Jones’ dream of five gold medals.

Drechsler will still take part at the German championships this weekend before a farewell tour of the international circuit.

“Now I will end the season with a competive tour at various international meetings. Perhaps by the end of the season I can show again the sort of performance I still think I’m capable of,” she said.