Jason Gardener will run his last 100m on home soil at Crystal Palace on Friday after deciding to quit outdoor athletics at the end of the summer.
The four-time European Indoor 60m champion had planned to run at next year’s Olympics but has decided to bow out early after an injury-hit summer.
“My goals were to run fast and build for the summer,” said the 31-year-old, who won Olympic relay gold in Athens.
“I’ve not achieved those goals and that’s why I’m going.”
Gardener, who has not broken 10 seconds since running 9.98 seconds in 1999, added: “The event has moved on. I’m out of my depth having to chase 9.7 - I have to accept it.”
The sprinter, nicknamed the ‘Bath Bullet’ for his indoor exploits, was fourth in the national trials for this month’s World Championships in Osaka.
He has an outside chance of being selected for the 4 x 100m relay squad but would need to improve on his season’s best time of 10.28 seconds at Crystal Palace on Friday.
Gardener was one of the British quartet who won bronze at the 2005 World Championships.
His other achievements include a 4 x 100m relay gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and a silver in the same event at the 1999 World Championships.
“I was looking at running 10-zeros at least and making the final in Osaka as a platform for next year’s Olympics n Beijing,” he said.
“It’s a bit frustrating because I’d have liked to have come in the top three at the trials in Manchester and qualified for the 100m at the World Championships.”
The father-of-two will take up a marketing position with Bath Rugby Club at the end of the outdoor season.
He has not yet made a decision on whether to continue his indoor career.