Skier Mickel announces retirement

Mickel's best World Cup result was 10th in Switzerland in January 2006

Downhill skier Finlay Mickel has announced his retirement at the age of 31 because of injury worries.

The Scot has been in the British alpine ski team since 1996 and recorded a 10th place at the Wengen downhill in 2006.

Mickel's injury list over the last two years include a fractured left ankle, ruptured right Achilles tendon and a right ankle fracture.

He had recently returned to competitive action after a series of injuries ruled him of of the 2008 season.

Having missed out on a place in 2002, Mickel competed at the Turin Winter Olympics in 2006, finishing 25th in the downhill event and 22nd in the super-G.

He said: "It's a happy and sad day for me. I can look back on a very illustrious career and put myself in a small group of British skiers who have made it into the top 10 in World Cup competitions - joining legends such as Konrad Bartelski and the Bell brothers.

"For the past two years my focus has been on recovering from injuries sustained at World Cup races.

"Coming back to racing this year and knowing the commitment required to get back to top flight racing and the risks you have to take to do it - I don't feel I can justify that anymore, especially now I have my two year-old son, Jenson, to consider."