A moment of sporting history - Derartu Tulu links arms with Elana Meyer at the 1992 Olympics (© Getty Images)
South Africa's 1992 Olympic 10,000 metres silver medallist Elana Meyer has announced her retirement from athletics at the age of 38.
"It's been in the pipeline for a while, but Elana has now made it official that she will no longer race competitively," confirmed Linda Ferns, the general manager of Athletics South Africa.
"She will still run to keep fit, but her main focus now is motivational speaking for sportsmen and women on how to rise above obstacles."
Meyer's defining moment came in 1992 when South Africa returned to Olympic competition in Barcelona after years of apartheid-induced international isolation.
She won South Africa's first Olympic medal since 1960 behind Ethiopian Derartu Tulu, who out-sprinted her on the final lap of the 10,000 metres.
Tulu and Meyer then shared a joyous victory lap, side by side, with their national flags draped over their shoulders in a powerful symbol of South Africa's reacceptance into the world of international sport.
Meyer holds the World records for the 15km (46:57), set in 1991, and the Half Marathon (1:06.44), set in 1999. She won the World Half Marathon title in 1994 and carried that form into marathons with top-three finishes in the Boston and Chicago races.
Meyer's 2004 was blighted by poor form and her last race was the Lagos Half Marathon in November, where she finished third.
Reuters
