Hemmings announces retirement
Hemmings took gold in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta
Deon Hemmings, the only Jamaican woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal, has decided to retire from athletics.
The 35-year-old hurdler, who first represented Jamaica in 1991, blamed the assortment of injuries which limited her appearances in the past two years for her decision.
“I’ve been struggling since the latter part of 2000 and still haven’t fully recovered,” said Hemmings.
“It’s time for me to retire.”
Hemmings won the 400m hurdles in Atlanta in 1996 to become the first woman from Jamaica to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics, and took silver at the 1997 World Championships in Athens and bronze in Seville in 1999.
Attempting a double Olympic success, Hemmings finished second to Russia’s Irina Privalova in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Hemmings competed for Jamaica at three Olympics and four World Championships.