Defiant Holmes: I'm not quitting

Kelly Holmes today ended speculation about her future by revealing she will not retire from athletics this season and has her sights set on running at the world championships.

A fresh injury setback for the double Olympic champion led to suggestions that Holmes, already uncertain about her future in the sport, might be tempted to quit.

But the 34-year-old revealed from her South African training base today that the injury was not as bad as first feared, adding that the setback, which has forced her to miss this weekend's European Indoor Championships in Madrid, has actually provided her with fresh motivation.

"It doesn't cast a cloud over my career and, if anything, it's the opposite. It's probably made me more determined and made me have the goal of targetting the world championships in Helsinki which I didn't have before," she said.

"I won't be retiring this year because I definitely feel I have something to keep me going."

Holmes revealed the incredible reception she received on her return to racing indoors in Glasgow and Birmingham this year helped convince her she still has an inspirational role to play in British athletics. The prospect of running well in Madrid, too, restored her "hunger for championship racing".

A hamstring injury during training in Potchefstroom on Saturday, though, forced her to withdraw when she felt in good form. Holmes feared she may have torn the muscle but a scan on Tuesday revealed it to be a bad strain, stemming from an inflamed nerve in her lower back.