Rebecca Romero quits Team GB

Rebecca Romero
(© johnthescone CC2.0)

Citing "several setbacks at crucial points" as the reason, Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Romero has announced her decision to leave the team in the run-up to the 2012 Games.

Surrey-born Romero, winner of the Individual Pursuit event in Beijing, is known as both a track cyclist and a rower. An ex-British individual time trial champion, she went on to win gold in the 3km and Individual Pursuits at the 2008 Worlds. She also won gold in the Quadruple Sculls at the 2005 British Rowing Championships and silver for the same event in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

"I believe I’m no longer on a pathway which will see me fulfil my Olympic ambition to win a second Olympic gold medal," she told British Cycling. "I’m proud to have contributed to the cycling team’s great Olympic triumph in Beijing and I thank all the amazing people within British Cycling who were central to my success. I wish my current team mates every success in London next year."

Whilst her loss is undoubtedly a major set-back so close to the Games, team performance manager Shane Sutton remains confident that the British team will be able to do well in 2012. "I’m confident we can remain on track to hit our performance targets in the lead up to and during the London Olympic Games," he said.