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Thread: 'Breaststroke Queen' Luo Abdicates

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[quote=LIONPOWER,241736]At 23 a swimmer should be entering her prime, but yesterday marked the retirement of China's Olympic and World champion Luo Xuejuan.

Speaking at a ceremony in her hometown Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the "Breaststroke Queen" confirmed she had to leave the pool due to poor health.

"Life comes first. It is more important than other things," she said. "Everyone knows that I am a very competitive person, but I have no other choice than to quit the sport. I am so grateful for what the national team has brought to me in the past years. Now I am leaving. But as an Olympic champion, I hope I can do something else for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. I also wish the national swimming team the best," she said.

Luo, who has suffered from heart problems since the 2004 Athens Olympics where she claimed China's sole swimming gold and was seen as a medal hope for 2008, revealed she planned to study at Peking University.

Speculation on Luo's future had mounted of late, as stories of heart problems and disputes with coaches were plastered in the press. Just days ago, national team coach Zhang Yadong dismissed the reports of Luo's likely retirement.

Confusion reigned at the ceremony when doctors were unwilling to give exact details of Luo's heart problem.[/quote]

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