Graf quits athletics

Graf has won Olympic and World silver medals

Olympic 800m silver medalist Stephanie Graf has retired from athletics.

Injury-hit Graf, 30, who was second at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, made the surprise announcement via e-mail while training in South Africa.

"Only 70% of my body wants to run. After all I have been through, I know that sport is no longer the most important thing in life."" she said.

Graf has struggled with her health in the past few years and missed the 2003 World Championship with a foot injury.

In July 2002 she underwent an operation to remove a non-cancerous tumor between her right hip bone and the sciatic nerve.

As well as taking Olympic silver, Graf also won silver at the 2001 World Championship in Edmonton.

Austria's Social Democratic party, which has previously asked Graf to run for parliament, denied reports she would stand in local elections in March.