Athens: On the first day of the rest of her life, American Mia Hamm said she was relieved to be retiring unhurt after being the dominant women’s soccer player of her generation.

Hamm, who grabbed a second Olympic gold medal in the United States’ 2-1 extra-time win over Brazil on Thursday, said nagging injuries were a compelling argument to get out while she was at the top.

“I don’t want to have surgery after surgery, I want to have a life after soccer that includes quality of life,” she told a news conference.

“We’d laugh about it but it’s true, we called it the over-30 hour at 10 am in the training room. It used to be that just bending over to tie your shoes was enough for a warm-up but... I was in the training room every day,” the 32-year-old striker said.

Hamm, twice Fifa World Player of the Year, inspired a generation of players and helped launch a boom in women’s soccer, especially in the United States.

Hamm ended a 17-year career by notching two goals in the Olympic tournament but failed to get on the scoresheet in the final. Her honours include two Olympic gold medals, two World Cup titles and more international goals than any other woman.

“We’ve seen the game grow and change and intensify every single year,” she said. “I hope I see myself at the very beginning, that there are so many better things to come.”