Javier Sotomayor, Cuba's indoor and outdoor world record holder, has announced his retirement according to Cuban television today.
Sotomayor, who celebrates his 34th birthday on Saturday, had repeatedly said during the season he would not be retiring although his performances have been disappointing. He only took fourth spot at the world outdoor championships in Edmonton, Canada in August.
The high jump legend, who has won six world titles - two outdoor and four indoor - and the 1992 Olympics, has both the indoor world mark of 2.43m set in 1989 in Budapest, plus the outdoor record of 2.45m, achieved in 1993 in Salamanca, Spain.
Sotomayor was suspended for two years after testing positive for cocaine in 1999 at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. Athletics' world governing body IAAF reduced the suspension to 12 months however for what they described as exceptional circumstances.
He returned to competitive in action in time to compete at the Sydney Olympics last year and claimed the silver medal with a jump of 2.32m. - AFP