Cathy stops after losing drive

"Her victory in the 400m at the Sydney Olympics was one of the great sporting events of our generation."

Australia's head athletics coach Keith Connor reflected: "It's very sad news for us in athletics, but it also puts an end to speculation as to what she was going to do."

Quite what Freeman will choose to do now remains to be seen. Since the Sydney Olympics, she has suffered a great deal of personal torment.

She ran the 400m relay at the Commonwealth Games with next to no training after taking time off to nurse husband Sandy Bodecker back to health after he was struck down by throat cancer. Their relationship ended earlier this year and Freeman, back on the track, found herself some way off the pace.

She was beaten by compatriot Jana Pittman, suffered her worst defeat in a decade when finishing fifth in the United States and began to doubt her resolve to continue.

It was then, according to coach Peter Fortune, that Freeman realised she lacked that competitive fire.

She worked hard at regaining it, but last month Freeman announced she would only compete in the relay at the upcoming World Championships because she no longer harboured the desire for personal glory.

However, even team glory is now not enough to spur her on. "After much soul-searching and deliberation I have come to the realisation that I simply do not have the desire to compete anymore," she said.

"My goal from when I was little was always to win an Olympic gold medal and to have done so in Australia - and also have the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron - was more than I could have ever hoped for.

"Reality is setting in and it's time for me to just accept the fact that I no longer want to be the best athlete I can be, like I used to. I still have my passion to keep fit and train, but just my thirst to be the best is no longer in me, so retirement is it."